Tomorrow A Flower [LP]

Muito Kaballa - Tomorrow A Flower [LP]

Muito Kaballa return in style with a refined modern sound on Tomorrow A Flower for the London-based imprint Batov Records, blending indie pop, soul, hip hop, jazz, Brazilian rhythms, and West African grooves. Initially the solo project of tenor saxophonist and composer Niklas Mündemann, Muito Kaballa has grown into a full-blown ensemble, based between Cologne and Berlin. Tomorrow A Flower builds on the success of the ensemble's acclaimed Like a River album, whilst moving away from the previous album's strong jazz leanings, towards a more direct, contemporary yet sophisticated pop feel. Still oozing with soul, and nods to not only African funk and hip hop but strong modern references, including electronic pop favorites "Jungle By Night" and cosmic groove merchants Khruangbin. The album commences with "Loving You", a heartwarming yet almost melancholy groover simultaneously recalling both classic soul, and the contemporary soul of electronic maverick Jitwan. Held to earth by a steady mid-tempo snare-and-tambourine rhythm, whilst the irresistible harmonizing between voice and horn threatens to lift it off the ground as the vocal slowly unfolds. "In My Delir" follows perfectly. Featuring South African singer and KEXP fave, Petite Noir, and shaped in collaboration with Muito guitarist Benjamin Schneider, the song opens with a beguiling guitar riff that melts through the speakers like a disintegrating highlife loop. On the epic album standout, "Make Me Bigger," guest vocalist Jermain Peterson asks the listener to "take my hand and make me bigger", on a stirring ode to friendship and its power to overcome fears and self-doubt. West African grooves and Afrobeats support coiling vines of jazz, soul, and pop that will no doubt appeal to fans of SAULT, Michael Kiwanuka, and Yazmin Lacey. Tomorrow A Flower is a modern classic -- interlacing multiple genres of sound into new perspectives that complement each and leave room for the enchanting and original songs and sounds of Niklas Mündeman and Muito Kaballa. A1. Loving You_x000D_ A2. In My Delir (feat. Petite Noir)_x000D_ A3. Roses + Butter + Flies_x000D_ A4. Flowers Only Grow After The Rain Falls_x000D_ A5. Lately (feat. Jermaine Peterson)_x000D_ B1. Remedy_x000D_ B2. Make Me Bigger (feat. Jermaine Peterson)_x000D_ B3. Panda By Night_x000D_ B4. Too Good For Me_x000D_ B5. The Dogs That Bark (The Loudest)_x000D_ B6. Epilogue