Relish
Heavy sunlight on hard tarmac as Relish pump out their patented and polished West Coast funk ‘n’ harmonies fusion thang on the Upstage. Crisp backbeats, quasi falsetto soul vocals, jazzy electric piano and chicky-chicky guitar licks make the Downpatrick quartet perfect fodder for folk who consider hardcore punk and hip-hop as historic aberrations. ‘Rainbow Zephyr’ could be a Lenny Kravitz lyric channelled through the Isleys’ valve amps, while ‘Heart Shaped Box’ evokes Curtis rather than Kurt. Not a bad thing necessarily – there’s very little nitpicking to be done in terms of craft. But if you prefer your rock ‘n’ roll raw and insurrectionist, look elsewhere. At their best Relish are a hit of sunshine, and their worst, a Steve Miller Band revival.