Electric Wire Hustle - Electric Wire Hustle
The eponymous debut long player from Electric Wire Hustle is a great surprise. I came to it with no knowledge or expectations and was completely blown away. Like Fat Freddy's Drop on a rainy day in Berlin, thinking about Jimi and scratching an itch directly out of Philly or Detroit. Mara TK , Taay Ninh and Myele Manzanza present a mix up of the best kind that seems to end up knitting together in an intelligent edgy soulful way.
The album starts strongly with "Waters", a beautiful tune in a Wellydub style but driven by a brilliant messed up hiphop beat that, just when you think it's finishing up, drives back into the tune like a Jamaican version side letting us know that we ain't done yet.
Perceptions carries on the strong start but "Again" is a real find hitting you like some kind of out-take from Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, all delicate and soulful. Other songs such as "Jupiter" featuring vocalist Declame are in a more straight forward hiphop style. And good old David Lange even turns up for the righteous reminder "Burn" with Mara's dad Billy TK on axe duty.
Production is beautifully done and the whole thing feels like a later effort from an established group rather than a debut disk. There seems a dedication here to getting something deeply felt and original nailed down, reminiscent of early TrinityRoots. The style shifts across the album may be a bit much for anyone wanting a seamless lite groove but I find the gear changes and glitch beats that accompany this introspective soul workout just right.
Peter Darlington
