<p><span><span>- I’ve been waiting years for the Superfeather album - coming out soon on Melbourne’s Wondercore Island. Their only recorded material up to this point is the delicious <em>Dempsey Roll</em> on the first Wondercore compilation from 2013. Instrumentally oriented, Superfeather’s sound touches on jazz, mathrock and funk with distinct use of syncopation, making for some propulsive grooves. It’s been a long time coming but well worth the wait. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>The album kicks off with <em>East</em>, a heavy track with great synth over dubs and, of course, abrupt changes. The funk groove morphs, somehow, becoming even dirtier. Exceptional moments of unison are complemented by complex harmonies. <em>Keigo</em> delivers another heavily syncopated groove. <strong>Niles Rodgers</strong>-esque guitar stabs are recontextualised and taken to even jazzier depths. There are some incredible sections to this song, like the particularly staccato breakdown in the middle that slowly opens up and blossoms. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>A suitably swung groove kicks off <em>Yancey</em>, Superfeather's nod to the late <strong>J Dilla</strong>. The stilted drums complement the dual guitars. A minimal groove comes in and the tempo starts picking up. They go faster and faster until the band launch into it again, speeding up even further, working into a frenzy. A smooth downtempo section sends us off, returning to a heavily swung beat. Another belter is <em>Bassekou</em> which has an almost afrobeat feel but once again put through the stylistic blender. For that matter <em>Dragon Pool</em> has a particularly proggy feel. I love the distorted production values at the beginning of the track, particularly the muffled drums when they open up and one of the roughest grooves sets in. In the words of <strong>Matt Preston</strong> “disgusting… disgustingly GOOD”.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>It’s a big call, but I personally maintain they are the best Brisbane band - if you’ve caught them live you’d attest to this. <strong>Yusuke Akai</strong> and <strong>Jack Richardson</strong> weave in and out of each other on dual-lead guitar, each having their own distinct style - the interplay between these two is remarkable. The rhythm section is held down by <strong>Sam Pankhurst</strong>’s bass and <strong>Myka Wallace</strong>'s incomparable drumming. It’s like <strong>Slint</strong> and <strong>Gentle Giant</strong> and <strong>Madlib</strong> in a big ol' melting pot. It's not just stylish references either, they make it their own sound, a totally different mode of expressivity: dexterous, deft, and dangerously tight. If jazz is your bag this is an absolute must listen.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>- Hillfolk.</span></span></p>
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=4076991561/size=large/bgcol=f…; seamless><a href="https://wondercoreisland.bandcamp.com/album/superfeather">Superfeather by Superfeather</a></iframe>