(2013) Rudimental - Home [FLAC] {100.XY}

Wikipedia:
Rudimental are a British electronic music quartet, signed to Asylum Records and independent label Black Butter. The quartet consists of songwriters and producers Piers Agget, Kesi Dryden, Amir Amor (Amir Izadkhah) and DJ Locksmith (Leon Rolle). The group rose to prominence in 2012 when their single "Feel the Love", featuring singer John Newman, topped the UK Singles Chart.The group have released further singles since, including "Not Giving In" (featuring John Newman and Alex Clare) and 2013 single "Waiting All Night" (featuring Ella Eyre) which also topped the chart in the UK.


Review:
Rudimental, the four piece from Hackney, may pitch themselves as Drum 'n' Bass but their music is too infectious, too positive and too exhilarating to just be pigeon holed there. As their success of the last twelve months has been testament to them, they have defied genre categorisation to bring their life affirming sound to a wider audience. The two John Newman tracks, 'Feel The Love' and 'Not Giving In' in particular are brilliant packages of superb, succinct Pop delivering on any level you care to analyse. The near gospel, deeply soulful delivery complimented by an understated organ, choral backing vocal, reverse beats and a deliciously sub-tropical, seductive horn section really deliver a fantastic result. Newman's voice is perfectly suited to carry each song; it is as impressive as it is impassioned. The super-sonic velocity of the breakbeat score injects a substantial shot of adrenalin into both tracks instantly drawing you into the heady and intoxicating mix.
'Home' is not just about a couple of brilliant tracks though, it is an album of variety with few flaws. The title track, and album opener, is full of depth with its super charged bass and sultry layered vocals. It's like Paloma Faith with a twist of Morcheeba thrown in for good measure. 'Spoons', the first single taken from the album, released February 2012 and featuring MNEK and Syron, is pure, smooth R 'n' B with a silky female vocal lead and an almost James Blake like production. The arrangement and the mix, which have fabulous looping beats, are as chic as they come; a great clubbing entre or late night radio essential. (This cut was possibly a little too subtle to chart but never the less it's a great track).
Rudimental make the most of today's sought after and emerging talent on the album. 'Right Here' features Foxes in another of the album's accelerated highs. The beats are relentless and the bass gets as warped as dynamic time with the odd keyboard flourish, driving rhythms and precisely accentuated vocals. Sinead Harnett puts in a couple of memorable performances on the slow pulsating, brass enhanced 'Hide' and also on the rather funkier dueted (MNEK again) dance floor fluidity of 'Baby'.
The biggest selling artist of 2012, Emeli Sande, also features twice on this album. 'More Than Anything' sees Emeli at her emotive best, owning every word and belting out her soul as the beats build and break below in this tragic plea. The finale, 'Free', initially strips it back for Emeli as she goes a little Tracy Chapman: "If you ask the church then I am no believer, Spend Sundays asleep I am just another dreamer", but with a far more upbeat and contemporary feel complete with a brilliant dripping bass-line. If that isn't quite enough there is also the band's latest single 'Waiting All Night' with Ella Eyre on vocal duty. The high hats skip along at hyper speed as the brass section adds impetus to the soaring and scintillating score. Ella's vocal is full of power and passion and the whole track just makes you wanna bounce!
Piers Agget, Kesi Dryden, Amir Amor and DJ Locksmith, Rudimental, have pulled off a sensational and spectacular achievement with 'Home'. It is likely to be the best Pop record you hear this year and is more than worthy of all the plaudits it receives. The music is so energised and enthusiastic that it can't fail but to transfer its attitude and positivity through to the listener. I just loved it; the beats, the breaks, the dirty bass, the vocals, the production and arrangement - the whole thing. Go get yourself some and put a smile on your face.
Review by Andrew Lockwood.








Tracklist:
1. "Home"
2. "Feel the Love"
3. "Right Here"
4. "Hell Could Freeze" (featuring Angel Haze)
5. "Spoons" (featuring MNEK & Syron)
6. "Hide" (featuring Sinead Harnett)
7. "Powerless" (featuring Becky Hill)
8. "More Than Anything" (featuring Emeli Sandé)
9. "Not Giving In" (featuring John Newman & Alex Clare)
10. "Baby" (featuring MNEK & Sinead Harnett)
11. "Waiting All Night" (featuring Ella Eyre)
12. "Free" (featuring Emeli Sandé)




Summary:
Country: UK
Genre: soul
Styles:Drum and bass, house, liquid funk



Media Report:
Source : CD
Format : FLAC
Format/Info : Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : ~ 900 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 44.1 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits