– THE CHARM OFFENSIVE –

Curator-in-chief at the simply excellent Wah Wah 45s and Albert’s Favourites record labels, Adam Scrimshire flips his focus from his legion of precociously talented protégé’s for a minute to saunter back into the spotlight of which he is so deserving.

The South London-based DJ, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and producer released his fourth full-length Listeners last month, following up Along Came The Devil One Night​ (2009), the critically acclaimed The Hollow (2011) and Bight (2013) with a record that really takes his sound to new levels.

The usual jazz-drenched old-skool fonk‘n’soul that you’d expect from ‘Scrimmy’ (as I’m sure nobody calls him) is all still bubbling away but this time around Adam (as people are equally unlikely to call him, I expect) spikes his sound with some electronica, Afrobeat and neo-soul sweeteners.

The Socials is the second track on the record and serves as a not-so-rude awakening after the moody scene-setter of Theme for Us.

The first thing you notice about the track is the contribution of Brixton dub, Afrobeat and deep funk pioneers, Soothsayers. Crashing in with all the subtlety of a funk-propelled fart in a library they litter the intro with off-beat stabs and crashy brass.

On an album that also features guest performances from modern jazz darlings Georgia Anne Muldrow, Emma-Jean Thackray and Madison McFerrin to name but a few, it’s one hell of a way to stand out.

But there’s more to this mix than simply swag. The track breaks down not once but twice – the first time to an electronic burble that reminds me of the old dial tone you used to get when you were trying to connect to the internet (@iPhone generation – ask your parents).

The second time around it’s ushered with some lush piano loveliness before the fluttery, fidgety drums and sax take flight.

Part swag-heavy funk freak-out, part cinematic love-in, if this song were a beautiful woman, she’d have a tattoo on her arse saying “Heartbreaker” and a tattoo on her heart saying “Arse-breaker.”

Listener is out now through Albert’s Favourites.

MORE FROM THIS WEEK’S MIX

ABDULAZIZ LOUIS: NIJMA MASHOURA
MARIA CHIARA ARGIRÒ: NAUTILUS
RŌNIN ARKESTRA: COSMIC COLLISIONS
MARCELL: ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME

P.S. You can find all of the tracks reviewed above in the 45 Revolutions per Minute playlist below or click to access the 45 RPM Playlist on Spotify itself.

If you like what you hear (or even if you don’t), please engage in dialogue with me @45rpm_Reviews on Twitter. And, if you’d like to receive updates weekly, please subscribe to the email list to get these recommendations sent to your inbox weekly.

– SV –