This is a cool album from a band I’d not come across before. Their Facebook page describes the band as “the sound of English folk colliding head-on with the golden-era music of 1970s West Africa and the Caribbean”. There are nine tracks on the album two of which are instrumental, these are the title track ‘Look Up’ and ‘You Read My Mind’. The songs are bass and rhythm driven ranging from the upbeat and happy ‘Another Lifetime’ and ‘High as the Sun’ to the laid back ‘Good Life’.
Me And My Friends have an original yet familiar sound to them that reminded me very much of Sade, though I guess I’m showing my age now as ‘Diamond Life’ came out in 1984! You’ll see what I mean when you listen to ‘Promise Me This Much’. The band are made up of Emma Coleman on cello and vocals, James Grunwell on bass, Fred Harper on drums and percussion, Sam Murray on clarinet and vocals and Nick Rasle on vocals and guitar.
The album was recorded at Henwood Studios by Tom Excell (who produces Megan Henwood so well) and James Grunwell and produced by James. All the songs are written by the band except the last track ‘Sometime’, a John Lee Hooker song wonderfully executed by the band.
I will be seeing this band live as soon as I can.
Duncan Chappell
Artists’ website: www.meandmyfriends.co.uk
‘Look Up’:
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