Given that their name links back to their student beginnings during lockdown in a bedroom-come-practice space full of houseplants, Plantfood’s music is not what you’d describe as pastoral. This tight collective that formed in Leeds around 2020 seem intent to bust into the UK nu-jazz arena and beyond with their energetic fusion of punk jazz, rap and dance sensibilities. Their first major calling card after a flurry of singles, the album ‘Carnivores’ has just hit the shelves and in line with the quizzical title (given the band name) it’s got plenty of bite.
Opener Eclipse is a widescreen ride, with the twin sax dynamism of Joe van der Meulen and (George)Woolley steering the tune through some tail-spinning gear changes. Finn Hamilton on drums and bassist Woody Hayden provide the drive, effortlessly switching from measured funk to frenetic Roni Size skitters plus whipping up a wild crescendo as the track powers onwards. Dramatic, on the right side of unrelenting and unashamedly aimed at grabbing the attention, the sound of Plantfood has that live and direct vibe hard-wired into it.
No surprise then that Y.U.S. digs into the thrills and demands of performance and connection. Featuring UK/Palestinian MC Yung Yusuf, whose sharp words cut through the math-rock twists, urgent grime and Jaga Jazzist big-band flashes as the song moshes with intensity. “I’m a different guy at the live show” admits Yusuf before a pause to reflect on the fragile state of togetherness and community as the group rise to a swinging, old soul finale. It’s a centrepiece, looking back as a band on their local gigging roots and maybe wary of a less care-free time ahead.
Moving on, the album’s title track Carnivores is said by the band to imagine a more surreal kind of future thinking i.e. a plant-based apocalypse. The real interest here though is not any “Day of the Triffids” parallels but in the broad sweep of Plantfood music that this woozy psychedelic cut reveals. With their cosmic jazz dial turned up to 11, Woolley’s spiralling flute and the rolling waves of orchestration channel their inner Pharoah Sanders beautifully.
It’s this capability to explore range while keeping hold of their own vibrant identity which singles out Plantfood as a band destined to flourish. The melodic swagger of Birdgang, Pt II shows off both their natural heft and musical agility perfectly. Introduced by Ruben Maric’s tingling piano runs, the tune sashays with a fulsome bossa roll. The keyboardist brings a real Fonseca strut alongside Jaya Jack Petrie’s nimble percussive nudges and that flamenco – tinged coda is just so right. Executive Decision reveals more of Plantfood’s latin leanings with a slice of Defunkt bass bounce for additional tang. The fat bossa grows around some fierce sax solo delirium as the tune strides towards a stomping carnival finale in fine Bixiga 70 style.
So ‘Carnivores‘ as an album does cover a lot of ground but it’s not a collection that highlights a band searching for its own sound. Plantfood clearly know where they’re heading and this debut is a finely tuned first edition rather than a prototype. Comparisons with The Comet Is Coming or Melt Yourself Down will likely follow but the group look set to assume their own trajectory. Closer Monstera adds credibility to such a prediction as it builds from ticking congas and sax snips to a giddy swirl of deftly fused stylings. Skanking deeply around MC Yung Yusuf’s natural prophecies then veering to a pounding speed metal meets post jazz rumble, the track leaves you hanging on for the next instalment.
Leeds, with its heady underground dub, club and dance scene, has long been the stomping ground for new, distinctive UK jazz and fusion. Punk jazz pioneer Pete Wareham, Roller Trio, the much-underrated Trio VD plus more recently TC and The Groove Family have all emerged from the city. On this showing, you can bet Plantfood will soon be getting added to the Wiki list.
Get your copy of ‘Carnivores’ by Plantfood from your local record store or direct from the band HERE
