Laroca - Valley of the Bears

Laroca claim to make music like nothing you’ve heard before, which isn’t strictly true. A more accurate claim would be that they make music like everything you’ve heard before, all crammed into one genre-jumping whole which survives its messy adventures through sheer chutzpah. These 11 tracks go something like this: spooky Scott Joplin-esque waltz; trip-hop tango; chilled out trance comedown; David Holmes-style groove; Francophone hip-hop; star-studded-heist-movie chic; Japanese elevator muzak; Arabic-tinged flamenco; brassy funk strut; DJ Shadow-does-jazz; and finally, birdsong giving way to relaxing piano amblings. If it sounds confused, that’s because it is, but it's difficult not to admire the breadth of inspiration driving its creators, Rob Pollard and Olly Wakeford. If it sounds exhausting, it surprisingly isn't, though judicious use of the skip button will probably aid the enjoyment of many - though it speaks volumes that few listeners will agree where and when it is best deployed.