Whoosh! This comes tearing out of the speakers like a strong breeze on a hot and humid day. A name like “Jimmy Regal & The Royals” may sound like a full on show band but the three piece from South London are a solid harp driven R&B outfit with stacks of award nominations and a joyful and bright sound.
From the kick off with ‘Don’t Know Diddley’, they take the old Blues and R&B styles and invoke something primal and hard edged but still keeping a sense of loving the music.
The playing is relentless, through the title track into ‘Flat Battery Blues’ and ‘Shining Through On The 122’ but they are anything but a one trick pony, as ‘Disconnect’ shows with African rhythms and Kamila Bydlowska’s violin (probably my favourite track).
This is their fourth studio album and it perfectly captures the variety and sheer talent the band show. CJ Williams is a fine guitarist and he works perfectly with Joff Watkins harmonica and Sammy Samuels drums & percussion. They have Seydou Kienou guesting on djemba and Mark Glaydon adding congas, all taking much of their music back to its origins in West Africa.
Their last album was an album of the year nominee and this one – if there is any justice – will go one better.
