Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Rudimental, Major Toms/Asylum Records 2018.
English group Rudimental are set to release their third album, Toast To Our Differences, on 7 September.
They have already whetted the appetite by releasing three singles, their two-time ARIA Platinum single, These Days, which features Macklemore, Jess Glynne and Dan Caplen; their previous ARIA platinum single, Sun Comes Up (featuring James Arthur); and the title track Toast To Our Differences, which features Protoje, Hak Baker and Shungudzo.
Rudimental are an interesting collective that combine many musical influences including hip hop, reggae, jazz, pop, rock and blues in their music, so the title track is really an expression of their musical philosophy contained in a song.
The band also works as a platform for emerging musicians to gain much needed profile and public attention in a very crowded market place.
Throughout their career Rudimental have discovered and nurtured many hot new emerging artists including Anne Marie who first featured on Rudimental’s 2015 single Rumour Mill before going on to release her own critically acclaimed album, Speak You Mind, which entered the UK Album Chart at #3.
This new album continues this process by championing some incredible emerging vocalists such as Maleek Berry and RAYE on the track 1X1, Kojey Radical and Kabaka Pyramid on No Pain, and rising singer/songwriter Dan Caplen on These Days.
In addition to these emerging talents they also employ the wonderful skills of South Africa’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo on the track Let Me Live, and the latest hot soul songstress, Yebba, on They Don’t Care About Us.
Every Rudimental album has a positive, up-beat, feel to it which is also prevalent in their video clips.
It’s almost like they’re a rainbow of colour and an angst free zone in otherwise troubled times.
It’s an interesting philosophical position that the band have adopted and like their music it’s rather unique.
