ALBUM REVIEWS

Boohgaloo Zoo BOOHGALOO ZOO LOVEMONK RECORDS 5.7.10 @www.vanguard-online.co.uk Boohgaloo Zoo are comprised of two veterans of the Belgian and Dutch music scene – K'bonus and U-Gene. Having met at the '10 Days Off' festival in Ghent, the story goes that they exchanged their music and before they knew it they had enough for a full album. Heavy on the funk (or should that be Phunk?! C'mon kids, help me out!!) I defy anyone not to listen and find themselves bopping their head in appreciation. This duo's sound – as described on the album sleeve - is a mixture of (nu)-disco and house, stomping hip-hop beats, smooth vocals and blistering rhymes and a whooooole lotta funk. Opening track 'Found it' is a highlight, as are 'Dead Wood' and 'Testify' in fact I struggled to find one track that I didn't like. U-Gene's smooth vocals are perfectly matched to the beats and samples thrown in by K'bonus. Jazz-funk hip-hop soulful funk (if that is even a kind of music!) is not everyone's cup of tea, it is a niche market and while I thoroughly enjoyed this debut I question whether it is unique enough in its sound to get the recognition that it deserves. Laid back, funky, smooth - hell, they even had enough guitars in there to keep me happy – this album is definitely one to check out. These guys have definitely got the funk! Becci Crowther www.lovemonk.net Email Links & Comments to the editor Check the latest album releases