Simply over three years because the launch of his first full size solo album, Cease Mendacity, Raf Rundell makes a really welcome return along with his newest, O.M. Days. Rundell’s new ten monitor album sees him embrace what he does greatest and run with it in a sequence of songs which are each breezy and compelling. Having beforehand labored extensively with Scorching Chip’s Joe Goddard on the joint challenge The two Bears, and explored his personal solo work along with his unique EP, The Adventures Of A Selfie Boy Pt. 1 and debut LP Cease Mendacity, Raf has employed a combination of these parts to reach at his newest work.
Raf Rundell is not any stranger to a collaboration, his work with Goddard particularly has given rise to some nice tunes, and on O.M. Days he has used that have to harness one thing distinctive and artistically artistic from his companions. Half of the tracks on Raf’s second solo album have arisen as a result of Rundell has joined forces with one other featured musician and all, with out exception, are exponentially enhanced due to that.
Raf began sharing his new music again in September final 12 months with the lead monitor, Monsterpiece. The third monitor on the album, and the primary monitor to be launched from it, options non apart from Chaz Jankel of The Blockheads. Raf says, “I attempted arduous to be Ian Dury, However realised I couldn’t, So, I attempted my greatest otherwise, and right here we’re.” By the use of introduction to the album Monsterpiece works splendidly. The funky little quantity incorporates 70’s Disco and touches of Dub in an eclectic combine that additionally features a repeated flute hook. (Chaz stated, “love the flutes two thirds of the best way by means of.”) Because the refrain performs out you possibly can virtually image a 5 piece vocal group in coordinated beige flared fits transferring to a slickly choreographed routine.
Three out of 4 of the singles shared from the album forward of it is launch have been tracks which have featured one other artist and the most recent, At all times Fly is not any exception. Raf groups up with the eminent vocalist and singer-songwriter Terri Walker on ‘At all times Fly’ and the resultant monitor is without doubt one of the greatest on the album. At all times Fly pulls additional on the Disco thread however provides it a extra laid again soulful, R&B vibe with a superb keyboard loop, gentle Gospel infusion and even some scratching thrown in for good measure!
The second single lifted from the album, Ample Change, options Lias Saoudi of Fats White Household and is an epic musical exploration of slowly evolving percussively lead rhythms that embrace each bongos and metal drums. The gentle and mellow monitor is as chilled out and stress-free as you possibly can want for with some pretty looping melodies and repeated verses.
O.M. Days is not merely constituted from a sequence of random singles, it has a coherence and a sound that permeates all through with Raf Rundell defining the main focus of his creation. O.M Days captures your creativeness from the electro flavoured opener, Extra U Know, proper by means of to the shut out collaboration that includes Andy Jenkins, Butter Gold. Your complete album is characterised by a lightness of contact that includes a splendidly heat, summer time scented sound that’s tough to withstand. At instances you possibly can virtually hear the sound of The Type Council, the refined Jazzy inflections of Tracey Thorn and All the things However The Woman, and even John Grant on Raf’s monitor Luxurious, that includes Man & The Echo. The Ides Of Albion has a calypso really feel to the backing monitor and once more employs a bongo beat however at instances you might be reminded of The Kinks or Peter Doherty, the place as Down, the album’s shortest monitor takes on an virtually Journey-Hop persona because it channels Large Assault’s Karmacoma.
The influences and inspirations are as broad as they’re daring on Raf Rundell’s second solo album. The ten tracks that make up O.M. Days are deftly contrived and organized; every monitor has it is particular person signature however all are sure by an umbrella of upbeat positivity and pleasure. Rundell stated, “I labored actually arduous on this one. And though I had no plan about the place it was going, I at all times have a notion about how I would like issues to sound. I had a specific concept about that.” On O.M. Days Raf has actually achieved his purpose with an album that might simply soundtrack your summer time.
