FAT FREDDY’S DROP
Based on a True Story
The Drop
· The seven-headed soul monster is migrating to an ocean near you.
Hailing from Wellington, New Zealand, the self-proclaimed "midnight marauders" of dub, jazz and soul have earned themselves kudos from several points on the industry map. Based on a True Story was the first independently distributed album to hit No. 1 on the New Zealand charts. Since crossing over into the U.K., they also scored the Worldwide Album Of The Year at the BBC Radio 1 (Gilles Peterson Music Awards) for 2005.
What’s all the fuss about? Well, the genre-splicing form that makes up the 60-plus minutes on the album does, at times, tease the listener with its catchy hooks and grooves.
One can imagine a live show doing justice to the expansive sound at which the material hints. Unfortunately, the production quality of this album almost euthanizes the very songs it intends to hold up. The horns punctuate each phrase in all the places you’d expect, but its delivery often rings hollow. A more worthwhile starting point for new fans might be Live at the Matterhorn, where the band’s potential might offer more than just a promising hook.
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