The Herbaliser, one of the first and biggest bands signed to Ninja Tune, are back after a 4 year break with their seventh album, helpfully titled ‘There Were Seven’, released in October via their own Department H label.
‘There Were Seven’ starts off with a big bang of hypnotic, sensual sounds, sending you into a funky soul searching trance from the word ‘play’. ’The lost boy’ features Hannah Clive’s sensual and classic yet original Jazz voice that coincides with the Herbaliser’s colourful array of rhythms and beats collaborating in an absolute perfection of words and music.
The group are ontop of their game with this collection of enlightening and thought provoking tracks, their original style is preserved but evolved into a new level of production. The voice of twin peaks in the track ‘Zero Hill’ gives the album the gritty rap essence that fits like a glove on the hand of every fan or new listener.
Electronic, acoustic and archetypal sounds work amazingly to take Jazz-rap into the new age of 2012. ’George the Poet’ on ‘The Sad States of Affairs’ is pure magic, a strong London accent with clever choice of lyrics that flawlessly sit on the beat like a story, giving us an essence of Jake and Ollie, London, Jazz and U.K Hip hop.
March of the dead (Night of the necromaniacs) has a progressive, clever, crazed and tough nature that will spin you into a deranged state of addicted listening and whether this is your first time hearing the Herbaliser or whether your a vetran ‘There Were Seven’ will hook you forever, its a beautiful lyrical piece of artistic music only an amalgamation of genius’s could create.
By Asher-nicole Bourke
