Album: The 2 Bears, Be Strong (Southern Fried)

Andy Gill
Thursday 26 January 2012 20:00 EST
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The debut album from the alliance of sound engineer Raphael Rundell and Hot Chip chap Joe Goddard ignores the generic divisions that have dissected dance music in favour of a return to the eclectic groove-making of classic house music.

With feelgood lyrics of fellowship allied to pulsing electro twitches, Sister Bliss-style piano vamps, sample fragments and sunrise synthscapes, there's a flavour of The Beloved to "Warm & Easy" and "Bear Hug", while the slippery "Be Strong" has the air of an Ian Brown conscious anthem. There are even a couple of classic chill-out come-downs, courtesy of "Faith" and mantra-chant "Church", the religious theme also extending into "Time in Mind", a song about conscience whose folksy guitar and bongoes are the album's only mis-step.

DOWNLOAD THIS The Birds & the Bees; Be Strong; Bear Hug; Warm & Easy

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