- Music
- 20 Mar 01
The same stable that gave us the turntable symphonies of DJ Shadow and Rob D, amidst a formidable miniature galaxy of others, now releases a bare, raw and . . .
The same stable that gave us the turntable symphonies of DJ Shadow and Rob D, amidst a formidable miniature galaxy of others, now releases a bare, raw and nearly pre-electronic record from San Francisco's Tommy Guerrero.
A Little Bit Of Something is a masterfully crafted selection of fourteen beautiful, two-to-three-minute nuggets of lazy Latin rhthyms, jazzy codas and minimal funk, topped off with a delicately flavoured tinge of moody melancholy.
Opener 'Blue Masses' is the closest we get to the typically chilled trip-hoppy soundscapes that Mo'Wax have made such a trademark. From there on in, it's a stripped down odyssey into lo-fi soul.
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'It's Raining Again' is subtle in its intricacies, steeped in laidback Latin-guitar licks and graced by ever so delicate production. The title 'Flux And Meter' may remind listeners of the late twentieth century classic Mo'Wax single 'Influx', but that's where lazy trip-hop comparisons both begin and end, as Guerrero moulds his own lightly textured web of guitar loops and subtly sassy keyboard melodies.
Because of the thrilling dynamics music fans have come to expect of a Mo'Wax release, just sometimes you'll yearn for a dramatic change of mood and beat structure. But as A Little Bit Of Something develops a more long term relationship with your sound system, one cannot help but be seduced by its deliciously downbeat charms.