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Bent and
Kinobe before them,
J-Walk duo Martin Brew and
Martin Desai have sidestepped the usual independent single slog with a pair of sought-after sevens: "Soul Vibration" and the harpsichord-enveloped "French Letter," perfectly capturing the chilled zeitgeist and resulting in an agreeable deal with a major for their debut album. While the aforementioned tracks are present in all their glory and the sublime electronics of "Following the Naughties" ensures that
A Night on the Rocks usurps coffee tables previously occupied by Wall of Sound's
Röyksopp, it also extends upon this success with the recruitment of
Elbow vocalist
Guy Garvey, proving an inspired choice of collaborators -- the addition of his maudlin tones to the already tired and emotional orchestration of "Carriad" is a worthy successor to
U.N.K.L.E.'s "Rabbit in Your Headlights." Believe the hype. ~ Kingsley Marshall