I think everyone deserves a treat now and then, and with me trying to cut out biscuits and beer (not together, you understand) I’ve been saving something slightly special to write about for a few days now. Sad isn’t it, but there you go. I’ve always really enjoyed the jazzy tripped out funk-electronica of Nostalgia 77, in all its guises, and so I’ve waitied for a quiet evening in to check out their new single ‘An Angel with no Halo’, out on December 9th, and it comes ahead of a new album, A Journey Too Far, which drops in February.
Nostalgia 77 main man Benedic Lamdin is a busy man. He’s in demand as a producer and engineer, and recently produced two tracks on Jamie Cullums latest album ‘Momentum’, out now on Island records. He also has a whole range of is projects, with one of his latest, Nostalgia 77 and the Monster receiving significant support on 6music.
The song opens with this lushly Rochester sort of folk pop, the vocal provided by long term contributer Josa Peit, and its beautiful. As soon as it begins, so it over along into this sort of cinematic soul, all arching strings and shuffling rhythm section. Piers voice changes, more insistent, higher, funkier maybe. But then it switches back to its calmer opening figures to end. It’s beautiful pop-noir if you like, and its every bit the treat I had hoped for.
As well as an acapella version and an instrumental, there’s a delicious Prince Fatty remix, he of the tripped out, funked up reggae fame, and he nails it, all reverb, dub and Josa Peit. He’s really pulled it off here, all dubby reverb but keeping the good things (i.e. the lovely vocal for a start) almost intact.
Nostalgia 77 – Better than biscuits and beer any day.
http://nostalgia77.com
