Natural Self - My Heart Beats Like a Drum

  by Spencer Robertshaw

published: 7 / 11 / 2009

---

Review

Brighton-based label Tru Thoughts have a good ear for funky music and have many distinguished fans. The artists and work they put their name to is subject to very high standards when it comes to quality control. Gilles Peterson can vouch for that. This latest silk smooth release is superb and a funky album mixing percussion ,sax, guitar ,string, electronica and vocals. The vocals are excellent - if you think of Lauryn Hill and others like her you get an idea of the quality. Think DJ Shadow, Coldcut, Fatback ,trip hop, hip hop, Fugees funk and groove, then you get close to the quality. The beats and production are excellent, taking you on a well constructed journey through the album. It’s a modern version of classical music. Pieces are fully orchestrated to take you with the track from start to finish. Maybe this album could be the one that you put on to clear your head from a heavy day or when you need to relax and clear your thoughts. Some tracks do this easily with the rest getting you shuffling away wherever you are. The structure and production of this is excellent. You can play this anywhere. Each time rewards you by bringing something more than the last. An intelligent release which is a tribute to both Natural Self and Tru Thoughts yet again. I like a release that gets you thinking but also can relax you. You will not be disappointed

Track Listing:-

1 The Shock You Heard
2 Days Get Brighter
3 Every Day
4 Believer
5 Midnight Sun (feat. Elodie Rama)
6 Even Planets Get Lonely
7 All Static
8 My Heart Beats Like a Drum (feat. Elodie Rama)
9 Our Lives Are Like Waveforms, Changing Through Time
10 The Origin