– THE CHARM OFFENSIVE –

East London singer and sometime Moses Boyd collaborator Zara McFarlane has announced the upcoming release of her fourth studio album – one that promises to “push the boundaries of jazz music via an exploration into the folk and spiritual traditions of her ancestral motherland, Jamaica.”

And if that seems like a bold prediction, you only need to listen to the production on Future Echoes to know that McFarlane’s going to deliver on her promise.

“’Jazz but not ‘jazz’, hip-hop but not ‘hip-hop’” producer Wu-Lu and drummer-turned-studio ace Kwake Bass really excel themselves here with interweaving horns, trippy trap-lite snare patterns and lurching low-end.

But just when you’re enjoying digging into the piece’s knotted weeds, McFarlane’s voice exists to lift you up on its soaring high notes.

If you like this try my review of Hush by Rose Droll.

Album, Songs Of An Unknown Tongue will be released on July 17 through Brownswood.

MORE FROM THIS WEEK’S MIX

ARMAND HAMMER: CHARMS
AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE: HOODED PROCESSION
JOSHUA REDMAN + BRAD MEHLDAU + BRIAN BLADE + CHRISTIAN McBRIDE: RIGHT BACK ROUND AGAIN
MODERN NATURE: FLOURISH

Remember, you can find all of the tracks reviewed above in the 45 Revolutions per Minute playlist below or click to access the Future Jazz 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.

Until next time, love and noise.

– SV –