When Sergio Lorenzo Pizzorno came out with his first solo single, Favourites, back in June, we were pleasantly surprised. The song, an unlikely collaboration with UK rapper Little Simz, gave us an early glimpse into what could be expected from Pizzorno's solo project -- a whole lot of wacky swagger coated with a good amount of sonic experimentation. Listening to it closely, you can easily detect that indie impishness of his band Kasabian as well as the genre-hopping tendencies of Gorillaz. It's an impressive balancing act of breakbeat backdrop and funky basslines that sounds entirely new and familiar all at once.
After that promising teaser, Pizzorno, now self-styled as The S.L.P., finally unleashes his self-titled full-length. A quick glance at the tracklist and it's obvious that he's had a good laugh coming up with track names (The Wu, The Youngest Gary, Kvng Fv). The album also starts off with an instrumental piece, Meanwhile … In Genova, a percussion-driven, vaguely Oriental-sounding opener that would fit right between Kasabian and psych-funk trio Khruangbin.
Things heat up on Lockdown, a Western-tinged anthem containing curious lines like "Bobbie's got a false hand/ Love's a KFC". The album reaches its peak when it hearkens back to the 90s Madchester sound, starting from the outstanding ((trance)) and The Wu to Soldiers 00018 and The Youngest Gary. Meanwhile … At The Welcome Break (featuring slowthai) and first single Favourites showcase Pizzorno's more eclectic, experimental side.
Elsewhere, there's the fun outlier Nobody Else, which starts out as an emotive piano ballad and suddenly morphs into a tropical house banger befitting Ibiza. "Can't beat the feeling, you just can't beat the feeling/ Give me a reason to shake away the demon/ And for the first time it's looking like forever," he sings over a classic house production. Similarly, closer Meanwhile … In The Silent Nowhere begins like a garden-variety, mid-tempo ballad before Pizzorno willy-nilly throws in a synth breakdown plus a string section, turning it into something close to epic.
Quotable lyrics: "Why can't a nation of drinkers/ Be a nation of thinkers? Just because I'm paranoid/ Doesn't mean I'm not being followed" (Soldiers 00018).
The verdict: In many ways, The S.L.P.'s debut feels like a sonic playground where Pizzorno is testing out his ideas and going with whichever hodgepodge of styles/influences takes his fancy. At times an uneven listen, but never once uninspired.
Listen to this: Meanwhile … In Genova, ((trance)), Nobody Else, Meanwhile … In The Silent Nowhere.
THE PLAYLIST
Tinariwen (Feat. Cass McCombs) / Kel Tinariwen
The beloved Toureg troupe of rebels has been on the forefront of desert blues-rock since the late 70s, and their ability to transcend cultural and language barriers needs no introduction. Here, the band is gearing up for the release of their new album Amadjar (The Unknown Visitor), a follow-up to 2017's Elwan, and it looks like we're in for yet another sonic treat from these legends. Latest single Kel Tinawenfeatures a contribution from American folk-rock singer-songwriter Cass McCombs and continues to address political, social, humanitarian and environmental issues in its home country of Mali ("Evil tongues -- you can keep talking/ The uprising will be impossible to suppress"). Apart from McCombs, Amadjar also features other Western musicians like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' Warren Ellis and Sunn O)))'s Stephen O'Malley.
Jakob Ogawa / You And I
Norwegian singer-songwriter Jakob Ogawa has been peddling foggy lo-fi bedroom pop since 2016. Listening to early singles like You'll Be On My Mind, All Your Love and You Might Be Sleeping, you can trace his influences back to artists like Mac DeMarco, the Canadian troubadour who seems to have inspired an endless crop of bedroom indie-pop practitioners out there today. Just when the genre starts to get a little stale, Ogawa steps up his game with You And I, an up-tempo mélange of soul, funk, synth-pop and chillwave. "I ain't got much/ But it's yours/ All of this/ I ain't got much/ But it's yours," he asserts in the lilting falsetto DeMarco could only dream of.
Bombay Bicycle Club / Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You)
It's been a while since we last heard from UK indie quartet Bombay Bicycle Club. Absence, like they say, does make the heart grow fonder, which is why we're elated to welcome their return after 2014's So Long, See You Tomorrow. New single Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You) finds the London four-piece swapping their jangly indie-rock palette for something a little rougher around the edges. On the lyrical front, vocalist Jack Steadman still keeps things strictly BBC, which means heartwarming words like these "It's so cold in the air, put the bud in my ear/ first note start I can see where you are … We'll cut through the park, stick to the path/ I can't stick to the path 'cause I dream about nothing but you."
Vagabon / Water Me Down
During the first half of the nearly 5-minute Water Me Down, Lætitia Tamko, aka Vagabon, shoots straight from the hip, laying down her woes towards her lover from the get-go: "Never meant to be you/ Never meant to be me/ Never meant to be us/ Never meant for all of this." Despite the palpable frustrations, the Cameroon-born, NYC-based singer-songwriter sees it as a chance to rise above it and be a better person. "So I'll take my time next time/ And I'll do it right," she vows over buoyant melodies in the latter half. Now that's an attitude we can get behind.
Rosalyn / LoverFriend
Thai indie trio Rosalyn serve up its debut single in the form of LoverFriend, and let's just say that we haven't heard local indie bands attempting to do sexy with such effortlessness until now. Built around a languid bassline, the track opens with a statement of intent: "I wanna be your lover, not your friend." The singer croons in impeccable English, his falsetto soaring to heaven-highs. Low-slung synths slide in, adding an extra layer of psychedelic sensuality reminiscent of bands like Cigarettes After Sex, Rhye and Tame Impala.
