In the Shadow of Leaves

A suspended cultural identity looms over this debut disc by vocalist Matthews and guitarist Johnston. This may or may not be a desirable state. The first two songs possess a West African aura, with Johnston combining acoustic and electric guitar lines, Matthews singing and introducing his distinctive vocal percussion techniques. The third and fourth tracks wing back to an archetypal London soul-ballad sound, with macro guitar detail, falsetto swoops and a boomy bass vocal.

The high-flying, wide-ranging voice of Matthews suggests time spent listening to Geoffrey Oryema, Ayub Ogada, Richard Bona and Bobby McFerrin. It’s the latter in particular that is recalled by Matthews’ tongue-clicks, bassy hums and hi-hat hisses. There are even occasional South African inflections that recall Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Johnston introduces flamenco traces, or makes his phrases mimic kora or sitar flourishes. There’s a close-miked intensity to ‘Light the Flame’, but ‘Set the Controls’ fails to maintain this level, whilst ‘Fingerprints’ and ‘Ibiza Girl’ slump right down into banal soft-soul territory, the lyrics on the latter being particularly cringing. This pair are not exactly strong on the songwriting front, and their compositions shake up diverse stylistic traits to no particularly meaningful end.