It's pretty impossible to not feel happy listening to Sydney's JINJA SAFARI. 'Mermaids' was hands down the most Summer-friendly, dizzyingly joyous concoction of whimsical vocal coos, tinkering percussion and anthemic, heart-soaring choral refrains to be born in 2011. Perhaps ever?
A matured, polished sound is showcased on the shiny new single 'Toothless Grin', and suggests an exciting trajectory for the band of 5.
Chockers-full of their Afro-inspired, tribal congo-drums rhythm, and a well-placed flute solo, 'Toothless Grin' takes you back to the euphoric pop of the 90s. I'm talking artists like THE MAVIS'S and even pop superstars SAVAGE GARDEN. The video even references the latter in its makeshift spaceship and expedition into the stratospphere.
A low-budget, zany film that matches the left-of-centre sound of JINJA SAFARI, 'Toothless Grin' is played through a hallucinogenic dream where grown-men don spacesuits, soar far out into a sprawling galaxy (who knew there were clouds in space?) and have a party inside the moon. Cool, huh?
Despite harking back to decades past in its subtle undertones, you'll still find yourself knee-deep in a futuristic soundscape of a modern-day Kipling storybook utopia... and what a visceral pleasure it is.
Words by Rebecca McCann
