Review

The Boom Yeh: DarkStar (Unit 8 Records)

And, now Ladies and Gentlemen onto The Boom Yeh a thunderous, creative london based powerhouse of guitar, bass, drums, percussion, saxes,trombone and guest keyboards. They have already laid the foundations down, back in 2013 with their excellent debut album "Reverberations To Constellations" a fascinating group, who are interacting rapidly with their fast-growing UK fans.

Let's just say their Influences are many, but perhaps summed-up as a fusion of jazz rock, funk, afrobeat, soul, Seventies-retro and a slice of disco for good measure. They have achieved deep, pounding and highly stylised grooves which hang together tightly and connect with an earthy gut feeling keeping things fresh and funky.

The astute ear of Jon Speedy must be commended too, the band’s rather self-deprecating leader who has an inventive melodic sense, and a clever way of injecting bold rhythmic chordal chunks of blesedness into his music. He also has the born bandleader’s knack of running things on a tight leash, while leaving enough room for individual talents to take the lead and what a talented bunch they are! Among them is the indefatigable and highly energised alto sax player, Ian Bailey, bristling with clever, coiled hornlines intermingled with the rounder yet incisive tones of trombone player Nick Mills underpinned with the imperious sounding Paul Silver on Baritone.

"Turn It Up" kicks the EP off, a rather deranged and drawn out discofied, danceflloor delivery bolstered by the swinging yet metronomic pulse of Jimmy Norden's drums. Backed up by some fly percussion courtesy of Josef Berk and a Bootsy inspired bassline from the anchorman of the band, bassist Matteo Grassi.

"Momentum" is a lilting swaying piece of magic (again with great percussion) and glorious interweaving horns that are driven by the rising organ sounds of guest keys player, Carl Hudson, which really come to the fore...but the kick-ass tune is definitely "Burnin" it's as if the Foo Fighters have gatecrashed a D'Angelo gig and brought the Parliament horn section with them! A scintillating track with some "Crazy Horses" synth shrills adding to the excitement this gem musters. The groove is hard here, bone deep and some great fuzzed out wah guitar takes into another dimension, far effin out man!

Title track, "Dark Star," mixes the best of KPM with flashes of The Budos Band and The Heliocentrics (lazy comparisons I know but it gives you an idea) driven by Speedy's brilliant rhythym playing (chanelling Kurt Cobain here!) A sumptuous afro groove, spacious, yet relentless. "Dark Star" is full of great ideas and moods that hit thick and fast. Top notch stuff and bang on! The Boom Yeh.... yeh right on, loving this!
Words Emrys Baird