Susuma

Susuma harnesses the groove engine of West African highlife and hitches it to the sensitive stylings of 1970s soul. The resulting ‘Afro-soul’ concoction is compelling, the taut interplay of bass and guitar pleasantly re-contextualised when paired with Eric Owusu’s plaintive vocals and lush French horn of Merav Goldman.

This Berlin-based group reflect their city’s diversity with members hailing from at least three continents. They blend beautifully on a parade of chilled and catchy tracks. Bassist Yannick Nolting’s arrangements are spot on, while leaving room for adventurousness, such as the stuttering almost Reich-like horn motif that begins and ends ‘Adesane’. The quality of the recording and mixing merits mention, with the crisp patter of percussion sitting precisely alongside the purposeful guitar lines, contrasting the more languid horns and keys. The album would make any audiophile’s sound system sing, but also creates a vibe you could happily blast from a phone in the corner of the kitchen. The tunes are laid back, the band are locked-in, and the album is well worth checking out.