From as far back as 1980 jazz funk powerhouse Incognito has been in the capable hands of its creator Jean Paul 'Bluey' Maunick. Although the bands last CD, ‘Transatlantic R.P.M’, found Maunick reaching back to the inspirations he originally took from 1970’s jazz, funk and fusion, its brand new release, ‘Surreal’ has retained that extremely accessible and retro tinged feel. However, with the inclusion of three of the brightest young talents on the British soul scene: Mo Brandis, Natalie Williams and Vanessa Haynes, ‘Surreal’ is providing an enticing looks into Incognito’s future.
The mood of ‘Surreal’ can perhaps best be summed up by ‘The Way You Love’ where a sensational rhythm, a stellar horn section and cool vocals all combine to produce something really special. In fact there is not one weak track to be found and as if to underline this fact ‘Goodbye To Yesterday’ features up and coming soul star Mo Brandis. It has already been selected as the album’s first single and when Brandis returns for the sultry swing of the neo-soul inclined ‘This Must Be Love’ his performance is just as good.
Elsewhere ‘Rivers On The Sun’ not only proves to be a slice of retro tinged jazz fusion at its compelling best but also stands in delightful contrast to the old school smoothness of ‘Don’t Wanna Know’. With vocals again from Mo Brandis, this is a number of huge accessibility and underlines Maunick’s ability to select singers who perfectly complement the precise needs of every track.
This time around rising UK vocalist Natalie Williams (who has already been compared to Erykah Badu and Jill Scott) is also in the mix and her performances on the smoothly soulful ‘Restless As We Are’, the swaying ‘The Stars From Here’ and the brass infused ‘Above The Night’ makes it easy to see why. Indeed, this latter cut is entirely to die for and among the contenders for the project’s top tune.
However, it is but one gem in a collection crammed full of them. For instance, think Brass Construction then add a potently soulful vocal from Vanessa Haynes and what you have is the high octane ‘Aint It Time’. In fact Haynes contributed to Incognito's 2010 release ‘Transatlantic R.P.M’ and has previously worked with Van Morrison, Billy Ocean and Chaka Khan. Later, when the tempo eases for ‘Don’t Break Me Down’, she is again firmly in charge whilst her final contribution is to the resplendent ‘To Be With You’.
Real Incognito aficionados may well want to stop and savor the jazzy magic of ‘Thoughtful Fantasies’ which will put them into delicious familiar territory. This big thumping instrumental evokes memories of mid-70s Chicago at their very best and another song on which the horns really swings is ‘Capricorn Sun’ where the mid tempo vibe owes much to Incognito regular Maysa Leak. However If you want a real treat then check out the wonderfully brass drenched ‘The Less You Know’. With a ‘getting back to my roots’ thing going on and more typically fabulous vocals from Maysa this one is a real belter.