The Herbaliser, refined

Last year, The Herbaliser's last album, Same As It Never Was, easily earned a berth on my best of list (see my original post on it here). That being said, I was eager to get my hands on their latest release this month, Session 2. Those of you who are familiar with the band are probably familiar with Session One, their album from 2000 where they selected eight tracks from their catalog to strip vocals away from, expand, and instrumentally jam the marrow out of live in the studio.

Session 2 resurrects this strategy, this time with twelve tracks from different points in their career. The band's been at it for a while now, and it's evident in these recordings. More recent songs (from their last album and Take London for example) clearly show that as they've progressed, their album sound has grown quite similar to their live sound (take Geddim!! below as an example). Older cuts, on the other hand, show a development that's only improved with age. While those unfamiliar with the band might not want to start here, Herbaliser fans will find this a refreshingly funky take on old familiars.

The Herbaliser - Geddim!! (Session 2 take) : Session 2

The Herbaliser - Geddim!! (original) : Take London

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