- 'I'm an old school nigga with a new school flow'. So go the opening lyrics from 'However Do You Want It', one of the standout tracks from Funkyfreshfew's debut album. I wouldn't go that far, but that's not to say the album lacks imagination, for the Blackpool group have taken the approach that if it ain't broke, then it doesn't need fixing.
There are a variety of tonal colours surrounding the vocalists, the bright brass of the opening title track giving way to the easy melancholia of 'Never Simple' or the darker, introspective 'Dear Diary'. If you like an easier jazz style there's the dreamy 'Dime's Got', or for a heavier instrumental sound 'Heavyweight' takes a familiar riff and slows it down.
Several trans-Atlantic guests give this album a cosmopolitan flavour, with Sage, Dimes and Dirt Diggla (brilliant name!) giving plenty of incisive chat and variety. The lyrics are always interesting, my favourite being the assertion on '24.7' that "boy bands make grands on a skill they lack".
It took seven years for this album to reach the shelves, so don't hold your breath for the follow up. If you like the Grand Central sound though, and there's plenty that do, you'll find a lot to enjoy here.