Album Review: Saskwatch - Leave It All Behind

Everything is new for Saskwatch. New single from a new album from a new label. Even their covers of Little Red's Coca Cola and Robbie and Kylie's Kids sound completely new. Sadly the track Two Hearts is not a John Farnham cover, but on the up side it is another slow soul burn with a hell of a blow-out finale.

The single, Your Love, could easily be a B-side to Bill Withers' Lovely Day, with a clap-along, hip-dipping beat. Wisely, the album opens with an instrumental in Delinquent, which emblazons their brass soul sway on their proverbial sleeve. It also leaves you with no question as to the fact that this troupe is different from the standard soul sextets that Melbourne regularly churns out. For starters there are nine of them!

Nkechi Anele's voice has more depth and strength than Alice Russell and conjures images of Roberta Flack behind the mic. The tunes bounce between The Bombay Royale's Bollywood-style jangle and the smooth blues of The Alabama Shakes. Only One follows a more traditional guitar pop formula and Smooth Sailing slows things down as a closer, but there's no lull here, no track with a softer tone of horn or a more mellow, minimalist reprieve.

Strange Things is a highlight, with the feminist love song lyrics reading, and sounding, like they came directly from Aretha's diary; “Is this another of your childish games/Or a blessing in disguise”. The standout though is the blues-drenched Second Best. Here Anele gets her growl on and the composition is impeccable with the horns balanced by the keys and guitar creating an amazing pop blues mixture that makes you want to rubber-neck all the way down the street.