Album cover for Early by Seva Hifi. Photo / Supplied
Album cover for Early by Seva Hifi. Photo / Supplied
The debut album from this Auckland three-piece blends the reggae chill-factor of Katchafire, with the spacier, darker electronic dub of Kora, or Electric Wire Hustle, and the vocal style and sunny horns of early Fat Freddy's. They're like a Pacific melting pot of urban funk, future soul and rootsy rock,with their arsenal of analogue synths, MPC drums, and fuzz guitar. The only problem is their diversity also leads to a lack of focus on some tracks, and makes them come off a little half-hearted, or occasionally the blend of sounds (e.g. lovely soul harmonies mixed with overdriven bass) feels aurally overwhelming. Pressures of Life, featuring Nat Rose, is a highlight, as are the smooth horn contributions of Isaac Aesili, and there are some great components on each track; they're just not quite fitting together perfectly yet.
