New Street Adventure are a four-piece band hailing from the capitol, the quartet were raised on a steady diet of Curtis Mayfield, Bobby Womack and Smokey Robinson instead of the standard indie rock fare and it’s that love of classic soul that has inspired them to create their unique brand of new wave soul.
Previous single On Our Frontdoorstep (released in July) saw the band gain a strong response from the UK radio resulting in spins on the likes of the Craig Charles Funk & Soul show on 6 Music and a session on radio royalty Robert Elms show among others.
As well the usual musical media outlets fashion designers Fred Perry have also championed the band with a feature on their own website.
The debut album, No Hard Feelings came out this week (27th October) on Acid Jazz Records and is something of a belter, a thirteen track affair that features tight smooth grooves alongside barbed wire, observational and socially aware lyrics all wrapped up with an instantly infectious melody or two.
Aforementioned single On Our Frontdoorstep opens the proceedings and instantly sets the mood, musically the band create a contagious soul groove before frontman Nick Corbin delivers his no-nonsense spiky social commentary with a croon that’s one part Mayfield and one part Albarn, the band hook you in with both style and substance from the of. From there, the band add a dash of strings, piano, soulful harmonies and a whole lot of emotion, on the beautiful, sweeping Keep It Burning so the band are equally adapt at matters of the heart as they are at addressing the nation’s ills.
Be Somebody is the perfect showcase for New Street Adventure’s love of both soul and new wave, acidic lyrics and choppy guitars make way for a brilliant uplifting hook-laden chorus, whilst Hunted, musically sounds like an upbeat nu-soul classic but closer listening reveals the song to be lyrically a little bleaker and all the better for it, title track,(perhaps the biographical) No Hard Feelings, is a stunning tale of the middle of the road music machine that opens with a swaggering riff before developing into a soaring strings assisted epic complete with towering vocal hook, whilst Say You’re Lonely is a heartfelt ballad with beautiful piano and a gorgeous vocal that truly yanks at the heartstrings.
Since the likes of The Style Council, there have been few bands, that have attempted the new wave/soul crossover and few, if any, have managed to create such an exuberant and essential sound, but New Street Adventure have done just that, No Hard Feelings hits your mind, body and soul simultaneously.
Rhythm & Booze Rating 8
www.new-street-adventure.com