34. Sons of Kemet: Your Queen is a Reptile

Chosen by: Dean

Released: 30 March 2018 

Comments

Stu - Oh boy the energy is infectious! I love the driving percussion, the pulsing brass and the lyrical weave!! Perfect interplay within the band! Some funk, some soul, some reggae, some ska!!! There’s a party in my head! It keeps the heat turned up and is frantic as hell in places! It matches the space in my head which you guys luckily don’t suffer!! My Queen is Angela is bouncing around my head 24 hours a day! It’s a mania and this is unbelievable soothing ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ the only instrument that I can play is the drums and this highlights why!!! It matches my body rhythm!! Great call Dean ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ a cracking start 😎😎🌟🌟🔥🔥

Ben - Sons of Kemet - I dont like it. Every track starts off like some American high school marching band, which is bad enough, but then saxamageddon kicks in. I just don’t hear anything pleasant or enjoyable. Maybe in a live environment I could connect but listening through headphones just leaves me cold. Genuinely glad Ive got the review done so I don’t have to listen to it again. Sorry for not liking your first suggestion Dean.

Dean - First time I heard the like was at last year's Glastonbury. The Comet is Coming with the same saxophonist playing. A wonderful energy, surprising, wild staccato sax rhythms like nothing I'd heard before and I've listened to a lot of jazz. It has a spirit both aggrieved and meditative. When I started to listen to Sons of Kemet I became more aware how social  frustrations gave voice to that musical aspiration and I was literally awed by it's authenticity of message. Amidst the pathos is beauty and amidst the anger is pragmatism. It's impressive to me and stands out amongst other contemporary jazz records I've been listening to. I think it does have that um pah pah exemplified by brass bands but it seems far more spiritual and inspired by that heart beat or pulse that is beating within. For me, it is amongst the most inspiring new music I've heard recently 😍🌟

Paul - I love the opening track My Queen is Ada Eastman. All the good things about this genre spill out and remind me of Ri[p, Rig and Panic and Pigbag. But there’s a reason why I only have one single by each of those bands… There is some good stuff on here but it all gets a bit too much quite quickly, The longer it goes on the more I feel a bit battered by it. If the tracks were shorter maybe I could be more on board. I appreciate that it sounds like they’re having a great time though. Even when they're angry.