L.A.B. – L.A.B.
(LOOP)
Reviewed by Dave Tucker.
What happens when you take something great and make it even better? Well, papas got a brand new funk. Pour the outside soul/reggae of brothers Brad and Stu Kora into a melting pot of shared goodness, stirred and seasoned by the likes of Joel Shadbolt and Katchafire’s Ara-Adams Tamatea and you have the beginnings of a beautiful collaboration.
Finally out of the studio to complement their extensive live experiences, L.A.B. release their debut collection of sweet soulful reggae/funk with a distinctive pacific-kiwi taste and I gotta say, I like it a whole bunch. Taking their inspiration from the motherships of Funkadelic, the cool cut grooves of Steely Dan and the uplifting soul of Bill Withers among others, L.A.B. have worked at their craft atop the festival stages of live experimentation. Transitioning back from the studio, free flowing jams have been expanded beyond their early iterations, with the aid of engineering guru Dr Lee Prebble (Black Seeds, Fly my Pretties). If you are a true green kiwi and have enjoyed the cultured coolness of Kora or their brothers from another mother Katchafire, you will understand the passionate place from where these inspired grooves originated from. Funk fusion from the fireside, sparked by chugging basslines and warm reggae strumming, with vocals that light up their pre-dawn awakenings.
The first track ‘She’s Gone’ slowly builds, with a 3 minute intro, reminiscent of ‘Brothers in Arms’, in a good way, all epic in its simplicity leaving you edgy with anticipation of what’s to come. This brooding impending groove touches on the smoky weird funkiness of Two Tone label mates The Specials, picture a more cheerful ‘Ghost Town’, building power with each drawn out riff. ‘Starry Eyes’ catches fire amid a drive down electric avenue, blinking madly under the gorgeous glare of Brad Kora’s tight production, squeezing out the funk. Meeting nicely in the sprightly tones of a later day Rockers Hi Fi DJ set, this infectious groove is a standout cut for me that flips back the garage door to let in fresh ears of acceptance. ‘Jimmy Boy’, leers up across the asphalt of hidden school bullies, taking it’s shuffling filling from the Brits popular reggae style circa 1980s, all brash and brassy. ‘Umulash’ decrees the dirge of excess warning of the greedy gut-ache left by pursuing the peso. Featuring the beautiful vocals of Lisa Tomlins (Fat Freddy’s and Shapeshifter), this epic extended mix of bass heavy beckoning is strictly the business.
Some tracks were made to rock a live stage and ‘Watchman’ is one of these beasties. Taking a tingle out of Santana, this anthem to be, steps up towards an all-out jam. Carving deep cuts from the L.A.B. sessions, Dr Lee Prebble engineers another cautionary tale of excess and escapism, ‘Oh-No’, twisting instruments into broad new spaces, the effect is mesmerising in its simplicity. ‘Controller’, emerged from early jam sessions and morphed into a warm ode to the oppressor, that micro managing jerk. Taking note of past transgressions, this perfect single piece of team mastery, combines a sweet soulful sincerity that I like a lot. Family love and redemption are touched upon sweetly on ‘Love will save me’, signposting the joys and freedom found in nurturing new life. Trippin on 70s blues/funk, ‘Ain’t no Use’ leads the way to watch your back in true ill Isley Brothers style, think ‘Backstabber’ meets ‘Shaft’ and you may very well dig it. Closing out this masterful debut, ‘Sweet Water’ trickles down to toe tappin goodness, all euphoric and gospel like in its hopeful hum.
L.A.B. highlights the stunning soundscape that can exist between tracks that capture the integrity of live performance, whilst encompassing the knob twiddling trickery that can enhance and expand grooves and jams into pure perfection. On first listen I liked this album a lot, and after a week in my lobes I love it. Although for personal consumption I enjoyed the solitude and intimacy found only in secluded sessions, I eagerly anticipate the chance to share an outdoor listening party beneath our local stars.
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