Slovo are a South London based collective founded by former Faithless guitarist Dave Randall. Following on from 2002’s debut ‘nommo’ and the 2007 follow up ‘Todo Cambia’ after a 13 year hiatus for their third studio album Randall brings on board new additions in US hip-hip innovator Mike Ladd and Italian singer Barbarella to make a record very much potraying the issues faced in 2020 and an optimistic outlook towards a better future.
The album is beautifully made combination of beats, samples and Barbarella’s unique vocals, which are in instrument of their own – as demonstrated on futuristic opener ‘Deliver Us’ which sets the tone for the rest of the album with an enchanting sound which is consistent throughout.
Highlights of the album is the hypnotic groove ‘Call Me’ and the liberating; retro-futuristic inspired jam ‘Woman On The Edge of Time’. The latter pre-empts the album’s release and a track which Randall describes as their “tribute to the feminist sci-fi novel by the same name, written in 1976 by Marge Piercy. We love that book and were deeply moved by its portrayal of the possible dystopian and utopian futures that await us. It’s a work of fiction, but one that demands action in the real world.”
Check out their lockdown version below:
Other stand out tracks include ‘State Of Mind’ which takes us down a disco dance cul-de-sac before ‘The Only Way’ is the beautiful comedown follow up. ‘Simple Mind’ is a thought provoking political spoken word sample over cosmic Baleric horns before the lush instrumental ‘Rocco’s theme’ which finishes the record.
Although not a concept album, ‘Bread & Butterflies’ takes you on a journey and much like a best seller, it’s a page turner which you cannot put down. If you’re looking for an album away from the norm and one to encapsulate the skewed world of 2020 then this is your poison.
A superb odyssey of musical craftsmanship that is like no other to have crossed our airwaves in 2020. Laid back, thought provoking positive vibes which set the tone of the world we live in today, ‘Bread & Butterflies’ is a must listen for summer 2020.
Bread & Butterflies is released on 17th July.
