Classically smooth funk and soul join forces as this album Imminent Destiny kicks into gear. Gil Scott Heron’s The Bottle starts things off, laying out a particular vibe and simultaneously offering ideas that prompt you to consider life with a little more intent. Instrumentally the track is warm, full, vibrant, offering a Jamiroquai aura but with a vintage level of delicacy that keeps things focused on the song and the moment; rather than purely the artists behind it.
She Loves The Music follows with a similar approach but a little more passion – the melody reaches greater heights; I was reminded a little of Simply Red. It’s easy to enjoy this entire playlist if you’re a fan of the organic funk-pop ambiance that lit up many stages not too long ago. From a songwriting perspective there’s also plenty to appreciate that’s fresh.
Can You Feel The Need switches things up slightly, feeling like more of a late night retro dance fusion – the instrumentation is thicker, more experimental perhaps, still the song has that smoothness and holds tight to the band’s main thread of character. The switch to the hook has impact again, even as the music creatively meanders out and away. This one hits a little harder and quickly becomes a highlight for those flickers of grit in the beat and the outer layers.
Run To The Sun presents itself as something of a dreamlike moment of entrancing electronica, a delicate vocal melody feels like a guiding light but still simply another instrument washed in among the warmth. This one lets you effectively escape reality for a while – a fine mix has made for something calming and all-encompassing. Kick Back follows and drives with a dash of personality and a mildly joyful musicality. The music melts into one blanket of multiple colours, the song offers optimism and an appreciation for the way things are – the concept, to go with the flow, suits the feel of the track well.
A touch of rhythmic swagger appears by means of a briefly tribal-style beat as Movin On steps into view. This quickly becomes another highlight, there’s contrast between the elements – everything has its place, and the vocal too floats much higher than the rest of the ambiance. The melody is simple but satisfying.
The album’s title track follows and offers a slightly experimental or even more vintage soundscape that to me feels soaked in eighties sci-fi vibes. The song is partly gentle and partly intense, an interesting moment with a brilliant build-up to another easy-to-love hook. The concept appeals and the song is a personal favourite for its level of weight and evolution within.
At the penultimate hurdle, Only Love Will Set You Free drives with a classic concept and a notably passionate vocal that floats well alongside of this slightly grittier, bass-heavy funk backdrop. Keep on dancing pours out around you and works in unison with the music – giving you the energy required to do precisely that. This one’s a grower, it fills the room in an uplifting manner, plus the synth solos that dart around in the distance add a sense of creative freedom in among the entrancing loop.
Keep It Down brings the project to a close with a little more of everything you’ve come to know of the band. Instrumentally this was a great choice for the final moment. The bass, the vocals, the soul, the rhythm – everything just works in the way that you’d hope this genre would. This is true of the entire album in fact. The band offer a clear love for and connection to the music they make, which in turn creates something that you can rely upon and turn to whenever you need it.
Find & follow AutoCharm on Facebook & Soundcloud.
