Tahini Bikini - Album Review: Fever Dream
An album full of very danceable funk tunes, loaded with tight guitar, bass, brass and percussion that provide
a perfect foundation for the expressive soulful vocals of Madeline Lucy Taylor. Her unique clarity is reminiscent of Amy Winehouse or our own Kiwi songstress Gin Wigmore. This 6-piece ensemble based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara have crafted a fine album
of funk and soul blends with
extracts of hip-hop, blues and even rock.
Here is a rundown of the 9 songs on the album:
1. Fever Dream opens with a vibrant
blues funk bass line you instantly know your going to like this groove, and
when it bursts into a fast funky rhythm your head starts bopping and your body
starts grooving. The soul funk blend here is obvious, it’s infectious, and
very enjoyable. The vocal strength from Madeline is powerful and very captivating,
her lucid vocal clarity is distinct and very crisp, you can hear and decipher the
lyrics which is a nice change!
2. Bad Karma will grab you with its
expressive soul and smooth rhythmic groove. Dynamic guitar strums and picks are
perfectly matched with lovely trumpet adding some cool brass to the mix.
3. Lady Denim is another cool vibe track with a walking brass line.
Madeline’s vocals are so very clear and expressive, like an unique instrument
of its own.
4. Drive Slow has a great funk vibe with an ultra-hip drum beat loaded with rolls and fills. The superb guitar and brass riffing in unison keeps the groove driving through the track. Fun lyrics like "coffee cups rolling on the car floor.. I'm a nightmare on the road" snap gleefully with the phrasing riffs in a delightful rhythmic union.
5. Life’s A Beach has a slower tempo and is accompanied by cool atmospheric reverberating guitar that adds a chill feel, it has a classy slow groove that pulls you in and creates a relaxing effect.
6. Jacky Treehorn tight rock style riffs surge through this track with its repeated heavy guitar refrains that culminate flawlessly in a tight collective of brass and guitars.
7. The Sauce makes you want to move and tap your feet with its up-tempo rhythm, stacked with more cool riffs and brilliant bursts of brass.
8. Cash Back after a ballsy soul blues brass opening the track slides into a very nice funk groove thanks to the stereophonic guitars. More hip and very cheeky lyrical content keep you charmed with comments like “maybe I’m a crazy lady, but it ain’t my fault it’s just the way these arseholes made me” There is some nice organ vibes and a wonderful trumpet solo adding plenty of cool sounds to the mix, and the song finishes with great intensity with the brass and keys joining in loud and proud in a cumulative funk symphony.
9. Blue Skies a live track which proves they can recreate their recorded sound in a live environment with all the musical parts well in the mix, Madeline’s great vocals star again sounding cool and alive with the drums, brass, guitars and all.
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