Bristol seven-piece Snazzback bring the sound of reopened dancefloors, of communal release, and of the joyful sound of dancing outside in the sunshine to live music. Their second album ‘In The Place’ overflows with deep grooves and loose, lolloping rhythms that tease and play, sometimes languid and carefree, other times energy spiralling upwards – and taking the listener with them, each and every time. Their music is soaked in great black American dancefloor music, whether that’s the sound we call ‘jazz’ or hip hop. They also bring other flavours – interlocking Afro-Latin rhythms, electronica and hypnotic rock, all marinated in Bristol’s long musical histories.
The album rests on the band’s hypnotic, rolling musicality and inventive bringing-together of sounds, evident in their phenomenal live performances which were honed in legendary city centre busking sessions and locally-famous venue residency. They’re mad tight and heavily dextrous, a band who are tuned into each other and into the extended family of their audiences. Tracks like ‘Reading’ suggest a smoked-out Ezra Collective or Moses Boyd, whilst ‘Triangle’ brings powerfully scuzzed-out guitar sounds into the mix.
Getting the vibes going before will be Ellen Beth Abdi, the sensational singer, songwriter and producer.