L.A.B – II
(LOOP)
Reviewed by Tim Gruar.
Just over 12 months since the release of their debut album the Kora brothers return with L.A.B II, the next chapter in the story. This one is more than just a deviation from their day jobs, playing in the family based with dub funk giant Kora, it’s a complete redefining of the map and all points within. Actually, this is not just a Kora family spin off. L.A.B was founded by Brad Kora (drums) and Stu Kora (guitar, keys) and but also includes Joel Shadbolt on lead vocals & guitar and Ara Adams-Tamatea (Katchafire) on bass. Their ever evolving sound combines Adams-Tamatea’s reggae/dub experience, Shadbolt’s blues roots and the Kora’s own arsenal of influences to create an eclectic mix of reggae, electronic, blues, rock, and funk.
L.A.B II’s opener ‘Rocketship’ appears on the surface to be a straight out modern Reggae tune, solid but not remarkable. Yet it still earworms into your brain. However, then the mood changes to full on Funk-orama. Did Bootsy Collins and George Clinton just sneak into the recording session? Sure sounds that way! ‘Fashion Dread’ is one mega Parliament-style jam session, complete with 70’s tinged vocals that reminded me of Peter Frampton’s solo on Do You Feel Like We Do? With, just a little KC and the Sunshine Band on the tail out. ‘I Don’t Wanna’ brings the spaceship back to earth for a simpler, more soulful ballad that shows off the Kora Brothers vocalisations to perfection.. And, just when you’d pegged them down, the mood and tempo change again, this time dredging up 80’s Donna Summer and Amii Stewart, with a few tinges of Alison Goldfrapp’s starpower-synth grooves sprinkled with extra few drops of Steve Winwood on the post-production.
If there was any tune to remind you that Dr Lee Prebble is operating at the Surgery today then listen closely to the funky dub keys on the outro of ‘Hands Up (not the Otawan version)’. This is the perfect BBQ tune for this summer, upping the usual tunes from other local acts like Katchafire and doubling down for a dance floor scorcher. ‘Love Affair’ unabashedly raids the Motown larder for all the best ingredients. You’ve got the steady struttin’ bass, plenty of chikka-chikka and mirror ball disco guitar work and silky smooth vox-pops and slippery harmonies on the chorus. Close your eyes and this could easily be a throw-back to those heady days when Hues Corporation and Earth Wind and Fire dominated the airwaves.
Another change, this time bringing in the Stevie Wonder/Red Hot Chili Peppers vibe for ‘Free Fall in A Dream’. Adams-Tamatea must have been hanging out with Flea all winter because he’s playing with the same anarchic funkiness, stealing just enough from the infectious main riffs on Higher Ground to make your head spin and hips wiggle double time.
The biggest departure from the agenda (if there ever was one) is the deliciously paired back tune ‘Monica’ – “A Woman that’s seen it all/Lived the Life of a Dreamer/With the world on her shoulders”. There’s more than a touch of the Stairway To Heaven fable telling in this simple crooner. It starts off as a quiet acoustic before building into a classic 80’s pub rocker. Joel Shadbolt’s guitar solos really give this a great buzz – a little Slash and a little more Lenny Kravitz. We head back to the dance floor for ‘Midnight Summer’, a song that demands you raise your hands high. The gospel harmonies in the chorus totally take this to another level. Hints of the old Kora sound finally appear on the super stylin’ dub track ‘Baby Will You Let Me’, with it’s deep bass. That one’s bookended by another summer sausage sizzler ‘Innocence and Love’.
Yet another fork in the road shows these guys don’t want to be nailed down to one genre, showing they can blend 80’s grooves and a bit of Creedence swamp rock and slide guitar on the very satisfying ‘Bless Me Brother’. Throw in some conscious whanau contemplations in the lyrics with a smattering of Blind Boy’s Gospel with some-deep-as-a-well bass and a gnarly electric solo and you have a spine tingling killer track. And just to prove he’s still on the case, Dr Prebble pops in a little piano reprieve from the start of the album. Seriously, how much can you cram in here and still make it work? But that’s not all folks. If you need more bass, then let’s just turn it out for a full on ‘Lee Scratch Perry meets the Mad Professor’ re-dub on ‘Baby Will You Let Me Dub’ – the bonus track that blows away the original.
This album ticks boxes from past and present. It goes to parts forgotten and reminds us that past and future grooves can mingle freely on the ears, without fear or prejudice. Simply put: get this album for your next summer shindig. It’ll make friends and influence people.
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