Indian Summer

Album Review

Charlie Tate and Matt Harris (aka DJ Shuff) extend a relationship with U.S. label Om first forged with the licensing of the preceding long-player, Nufoundfunk, from Second Skin, signing exclusively to the label for their fourth album. Kooba's Indian Summer makes a valiant effort to keep the sun shining through the overcast skies of South London via some upbeat R&B — swelling their ranks with a string of vocalists including Cleo Bartlett, longtime spar Melissa Heathcote, and Soulstice's Gina Rene. The album paces itself well, gradually building up from the watery introduction of "Honey Locust" through the hazy future soul of "Losing You" to the cheerful house of the title. From broken beat to the slick street soul of "If I Could," no genre is beyond the reach of the duo, Shuff even finding time to get scratchadelic on the Roots Manuva's loping contribution to "Barefoot." It is the snake-hipped rhythms of "Blue Mosque" that steal the show, however, deviant percussion dancing around Arabian instrumentation that spins in and out of the mix like a sandstorm. Impressive indeed, with these jacks of all trades delivering another slick album good for the car, crib, club, or even those Indian summer barbecues.