EZRA COLLECTIVE

Where I’m Meant To Be (Partisan) 

The UK jazz scene is pretty darn healthy right now, and you can count Ezra Collective out of the doctor’s waiting room based upon a hefty dose of this album. We lift off with Life Goes On: a dancefloor monster, with vocals from Sampa The Great and horn riffs referencing Fela Kuti’s Shakara.

There’s another slice of prime afrobeat on No Confusion, with Kojey Radical on vox; dextrous salsa on Victory Dance, a sprightly Afro-Cuban rhythm on Never The Same Again, dancehall on Togetherness and a rootsy dub feel to Ego Killah, to put Sly & Robbie to shame. If Smile and Live Strong make for a saggy middle section of the album, Emile Sande’s tones are well suited to Siesta, ponderous buildup and trite Insta-motivational quote lyrics aside. Later on, Belonging is a sturdy standout, its sinuous bass-driven groove echoing back to Lafayette Afro Rock Band’s oft-plundered Darkest Light.

words CHRIS SEAL