Brassroots

Well. This is fascinating.

Brassroots are unsurprisingly enough an eight piece horn and percussion group with their roots firmly in the brass instrumental genre but that having been said, throw any preconceptions out immediately please.

This seven song, self-titled EP kicks off with a trombone led rendition of ‘Good Life’ which unashamedly breathes gusto into the well-played track with sweet sounding horns and a healthy dose of rhythm drums to get the foot tapping from the get-go. You won't miss Ebony Vibe Everlasting for a second.

With other covers such as Seven Nation Army and Karma Police, the East London lot sound their take on popular hits of yester-year to astonishing results. Trumpets, saxophone and tuba provide startling renditions negating the need for vocals and assuring the listener of a very enjoyable audible treat from this much maligned discipline. It’s not as if brass bands draw much of a crowd these days is it? But with the subtly crafted Liberian Girl and racier Misirlou from Pulp Fiction, this is pitched at a level which ought to change that.

I wonder whether the ensemble are limited in their approach by their very being, however it’s best not to dwell on such things and sit back and soak up a high tempoed and well finished re-introduction for those that pigeon hole brass bands as being intertwined with American High School sports games and nowhere near as enlightening, funk-riddled and toe bouncing as this. They’re clearly going to be a treat live and with a residency at East London’s Rich Mix, you can go and see for yourself.

Timelessly accessible and wonderfully crafted, it should be great entertainment for all age groups and it would be nice to see them catch on quick so they’re given the encouragement they demand.