Pattie Blingh and the Akebulan Five - Sagala

This new album from Ramp Recordings' Pattie Blingh (Georgie Anne Muldrow's alter-ego and new side project) arrives with a minimum of fuss and fanfare, and ends 30 minutes later having left an unidentifiable but undeniable impression. Unlike so many albums today, where the music often seems like an afterthought, the keyword here is simplicity. It is left to the songs themselves to entice the listener in. And what songs they are, from the opener O Reallytho, with its web of gentle snare drums and understated bass guitar, to closer The Point, with its gospel harmonies, this album has a unity of sound so often lacking these days. Each psychedelic soul song feeds off its siblings, giving a natural flow and consistency to the disc. Whether they will be able to reach such standards in the future, only time will tell, but this is a hell of a starting point. [Jonathan Robert Muirhead]