NUBIYAN TWIST — Find Your Flame (review)

NUBIYAN TWIST — Find Your Flame album cover Album · 2024 · RnB Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
snobb
Finally they did it! This London-based nine-piece band just released the album, which with no doubt will become one of the upcoming summer's soundtrack. Danceable, tuneful and radiating positive energy, this music somehow catches the vibe of the moment transferring it to a brilliant sound.

Nubiyan Twist are a significant act on the British scene for the last decade, partially with the very strong 2021 "Freedom Fables" release. Still, they somehow were not really essential, with sporadic releases and snippets of ideas and sounds. "Find Your Flame" puts everything in the right place though. Recorded in freshly-fashionable 70s retro r'n'b key, under the skin the album contains much more.

From the opener "Lights Out ", a groovy r'n'b piece with guest veteran Nile Rodger's guitar licks, the listener finds himself participating in a moody r'n'b fiesta, Tower of Power style. "All The Same", contains guest rising artist Ria Moran and offers more contemporary electronic sound plus dreamy vocals and the regular Nubiyan Twist's brass. Still very danceable.

On "Woman", the band switches all power mixing African rhythms and multilayered vocals and rap. "You Don’t Know Me" is another richly arranged r'n'b piece with powerful vocals and a touch of electronics near the brass soloing. "Carry Me", a true Afro-beat song, features Seun Kuti as guest. Side A closer, "Battle Isn’t Over" is a beautiful neo r'n'b song with tasteful arrangements.

"So Mi Stay", initially a single, released to advertise the whole upcoming album, is quite comfortable but far non-boring song with a touch of electronics and vocals/rap. "Pray For Me Part 1" moves towards soul tradition and contains marching brass on the back (in a Shabaka Hutchings fashion) and rap vocals as well. "Pray For Me Part 2" is, oppositely, an African fiesta.

"Reach My Soul" is a tuneful and soulful richly orchestrated ballad with African rhythms. "Find Your Flame" starts from electronica infected rhythms but develops towards an African danceable song very soon. "Slow Breath", the closer, fits here very well being a mid-tempo soulful Afro-Caribbean piece.

All songs are very diverse, well-written and perfectly executed. As a result, the whole album sounds as one big piece of beautiful music, by it's vibe and atmosphere recalling very much best r'n'b releases, coming from early 70s.
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