If ever an irie selector needed something with a little jazz-matazz flavour to uplift a serious, roots-heavy floor, here it is.
Maz Herman has composed and produced a delightfully summery-scented EP with tracks that would fit as easily into a Giles Peterson show as a Reggae set. ‘Timeless’ seems self-referential with its genre-flux of hip-hoppy beats, D’n’B-like breaks, R’n’B-ish smooth chordal representation and jazz-felt horn lines and licks.
This feel is maintained throughout: a delay-chamber vocal dub-out here, a honey-coated trombone counter there. The CD is reminder of the ‘good ole days’ of kiwi music when you got hidden gems floating across the indie airwaves on obscure comps.
‘People’ is an example of that so elusive feel – ‘across the board’, or universally appealing, without degrading itself by labouring that trait. And thankfully it’s one of the ones that gets more enjoyable with each listen.
A strictly dread roots soldier might pass it by, but don’t be too hasty. Have a brew. Enjoy that long golden sunset. Kick off the jandals and slap the poolside recliner down a notch. Stay an hour or three longer at the bach. It’s that kind of sound.
Spin Zero
