Eyes Rest Their Feet

This playful and alluring release from Thaba draws on a diverse array of influences: from the South African popular dance form mbaqanga to new wave and modern soul. The beguiling vocals of Khusi Seremane are complemented well by Gabriel Cyr, an American producer who joins the dots between Cape Town and Crowded House. Consequently, it’s an album soaked in nostalgia, with woozy horn lines and vintage synths. Seremane shines on ‘Warrior’, his melody line sweeping across its delicate instrumentation, while ‘Throw it All Away’ could have been written by The Housemartins; wistful guitar lines wash over multipart vocal lines that come to terms with past love. While ‘Mungu’ lacks energy, its laid-back feel more languid than enticing, there’s an allure throughout the rest of the record that engulfs the listener. ‘Brew’ is bewitching, while ‘Confided’ benefits from Cyr’s fellow Brooklynites Antibalas, who offer sumptuous sax lines and powerful drumming. It’s deeply saddening that this group’s existence was cut short when Seremane died in July following many years battling health issues. ‘Old Tapes’ features the reverb-soaked recitation ‘are we dead yet’ that acts as a haunting precursor to his passing and an evocation of life’s ephemerality.