Office Listening: Smoove and Turrell - Broken Toys

Image: Smoove and Turrell 

We're firm favourites of Craig Charles' Funk and Soul show here in the Skiddle office, his radio show is always a permanent fixture on Monday Mornings, being one of the few things that can revitalise our lost souls from the weekend. So naturally, Smoove & Turrell fits right into the bracket of Skiddle Office listening, and lo and behold Craig Charles' opened with their track 'Will You Be Mine' (below) on Saturday's show. 

Whilst still on the topic of 'Will You Be Mine', it was the first track that alerted us to their latest album Broken Toys, and you'd be wrong to think the subject of the song would be a women, in fact it's tailored towards the quest for a Stone Island jacket - Massimo Osti's designer Italian brand that matches style with sophistication, something that could be said about the album itself. 

The beauty of the album is that it's rich in versatility - it's got that northern soul expected from the Geordie duo, complete with jazzy notes and infectious lyrics that take you on a journey and really get under your skin.

There's never a dull moment throughout, it's as up tempo as it is down - at times you'll find yourself soundtracking eighties cop films (One Woman Army) then instantly you can be shot into the seventies with the disco twinges of 'I Just Want More' that could easily make its way onto the soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever.

Interestingly, the album is laced with interesting reference points, and for all the right reasons. 'Coming Home' has an air of a Stone Roses' sixties psychedelia guitar solo running through it a la 'Fool's Gold'.

Its shining glory lies in 'Have Love', despite the wonderfully executed video (see what we made of that here) for 'Will You Be Mine. It's vigorously uplifting, threading together a looping melody with warped effects and sparkling brass that breaks into a chorus of 'Have love, still got the feeling' - a proper soulful showing from the Northerners that's hard to come by in these modern times. 

It's a given that the boys know exactly what they're doing - the relentless percussion and jazzy chords of 'Lay It On Me' all the way to the soulful vocal that lines 'Play To Win' resonates a cheery vibe that could easily be heard in a pub jaunt up North or anywhere in fact, all the way to a sophisticated city Jazz Bar.

If that's your thing then you can catch them at numerous funk and soul venues around the country, including a London date on Wednesday 29th October and a double header at Newcastle's Hoochie Coochie on the 19th and 20th of December.