Make This Work
from the single Make This Work
2008

“White boys from Essex playing funk” — it’s a phrase that conjures up all sorts of disturbing images from the mid-1980s.

Whether the band wear white socks is unknown. What we do know, though, is that they used to be a rather earnest Travis-like group called Echelon until they saw the error of their ways, bought a synth and discovered Curtis Mayfield, Sly Stone, and Stevie Wonder. According to their MySpace, they are planning to “infect the world with a groove like some out-of-control STD.” Which is nice.

So another indie band gone dance? Well yes, but this lot do it with a bit more conviction than Klaxons, the group they’re most likely to be compared to. The group’s debut for XL Recordings, single “Make This Work, features the glorious Prince-like falsetto of vocalist Paul Usher and some scratchy guitar that’s more Orange Juice than Level 42. It’s the sort of off-centre pop you’d imagine Radio 1’s schedulers will be sniffing around fairly soon.

It’s still early days for the group, who recorded the single on a 16-track tape machine in guitarist Mark Brandon’s bedroom. An album follows next year, after which we’ll know whether they’re the indie-funk superstars they aspire to be or simply Curiosity Killed The Cat for the noughties.

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Founded in Madison, WI in 2005, Jonk Music is a daily source for new music.