29 Mar 2024
UsernamePassword

Remember Me? | Join | Recover
Click here to sign in via social networking

Tahini Bikini - Album Review: Fever Dream

15 Nov 2022 // A review by Andrew Smit
An album full of very danceable funk tunes, loaded with tight guitar, bass, brass and percussion that provide a perfect foundation for the expressive soulful vocals of Madeline Lucy Taylor. Her unique clarity is reminiscent of Amy Winehouse or our own Kiwi songstress Gin Wigmore. This 6-piece ensemble based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara have crafted a fine album of funk and soul blends with extracts of hip-hop, blues and even rock.

Here is a rundown of the 9 songs on the album:


1. Fever Dream opens with a vibrant blues funk bass line you instantly know your going to like this groove, and when it bursts into a fast funky rhythm your head starts bopping and your body starts grooving. The soul funk blend here is obvious, it’s infectious, and very enjoyable. The vocal strength from Madeline is powerful and very captivating, her lucid vocal clarity is distinct and very crisp, you can hear and decipher the lyrics which is a nice change!

2. Bad Karma will grab you with its expressive soul and smooth rhythmic groove. Dynamic guitar strums and picks are perfectly matched with lovely trumpet adding some cool brass to the mix.

3. Lady Denim is another cool vibe track with a walking brass line. Madeline’s vocals are so very clear and expressive, like an unique instrument of its own.

4. Drive Slow has a great funk vibe with an ultra-hip drum beat loaded with rolls and fills. The superb guitar and brass riffing in unison keeps the groove driving through the track. Fun lyrics like "coffee cups rolling on the car floor.. I'm a nightmare on the road" snap gleefully with the phrasing riffs in a delightful rhythmic union.

5. Life’s A Beach has a slower tempo and is accompanied by cool atmospheric reverberating guitar that adds a chill feel, it has a classy slow groove that pulls you in and creates a relaxing effect.

6. Jacky Treehorn tight rock style riffs surge through this track with its repeated heavy guitar refrains that culminate flawlessly in a tight collective of brass and guitars.

7. The Sauce makes you want to move and tap your feet with its up-tempo rhythm, stacked with more cool riffs and brilliant bursts of brass.

8. Cash Back after a ballsy soul blues brass opening the track slides into a very nice funk groove thanks to the stereophonic guitars. More hip and very cheeky lyrical content keep you charmed with comments like “maybe I’m a crazy lady, but it ain’t my fault it’s just the way these arseholes made me” There is some nice organ vibes and a wonderful trumpet solo adding plenty of cool sounds to the mix, and the song finishes with great intensity with the brass and keys joining in loud and proud in a cumulative funk symphony. 

9. Blue Skies a live track which proves they can recreate their recorded sound in a live environment with all the musical parts well in the mix, Madeline’s great vocals star again sounding cool and alive with the drums, brass, guitars and all.

Rating: ( 4 / 5 )
 

About Tahini Bikini

Tahini Bikini are a Te Whanganui-a-Tara based 6 piece female fronted powerhouse band. Tahini bikinis sound is self titled “salad-funk” a genre bending blend of old school soul, disco, hip-hop, surf rock and funk.




Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Tahini Bikini

Releases

Fever Dream
Year: 2022
Type: Album

Other Reviews By Andrew Smit

Album Review: 1 Drop Nation
20 Dec 2022 // by Andrew Smit
Opening with a very spiritual Maori haka Intro - Waerea, we were introduced to the opening track Homeland, which is an unashamedly patriotic Aotearoa anthem with repeated strains of "We are one nation". This is a track that proudly declares love for home, while also being a rally call for the future.
Read More...
Haze Lane - Single/Video Review: Natural Feeling
22 Aug 2022 // by Andrew Smit
Matching the songs title very aptly South Auckland indie band Haze Lane has produced Natural Feeling, a very organic song that does indeed deliver a very smooth natural feeling. The ultra-cool ambient sound is reminiscent to the early roots sound of Six60 and L.
Read More...
Gig Review: Anthonie Tonnon @ Hollywood Cinema, Auckland - 14/05/2022
16 May 2022 // by Andrew Smit
On a coolish Saturday evening it was great to see a rather large crowd that clearly were so happy and eager to experience a night of live music, and what a perfect venue to stage it at the slightly musty but still majestic Hollywood Cinema in Avondale. Opening the proceedings was the cool 4 piece band Lips with their ambient 80’s groove thanks to the techno synth sounds from keyboardist and singer Steph Brown.
Read More...
Vogel Town - Single Review: Sludge City
24 Apr 2022 // by Andrew Smit
Interestingly Vogel Town's new song Sludge City begins with an automated telephone voice, and then a street argument which is soon accompanied by a very groovy walking bass line, quickly growing from just a couple of notes to a broad melody of its own. At first the only addition is some nice, nonchalant drum fills, but as the background street noise fades away, the introduction of vibrant reverberating guitar strums adds a final element that completes the ensemble perfectly, and altogether this provides a very cool bluesy vibe.
Read More...
SKRAM - Single Review: Living Our Lives
22 Mar 2022 // by Andrew Smit
Beginning with some straightforward but quite funky keys your soon steered to a very upbeat and chunky ensemble of music that energetically drives along with its super groovy reggae vibe. SKRAM are a very high energy 3-piece pop group that have delivered a fine tune that embodies their claim of “energetic” perfectly.
Read More...
Tomorrow People - Album Review: 21
02 Jan 2022 // by Andrew Smit
Tomorrow People have produced a wonderful assemblage of uplifting reggae tunes that are performed and sung with heart and purpose. All 16 tracks are packed with brilliant harmonies that are propelled along by the glorious uplifting off beat rhythmic delight that reggae music delivers so well.
Read More...
Torn Chorus - Single/Video Review: This City Floats
10 Sep 2021 // by Andrew Smit
From a simple opening beat to a wonderful flourish of acoustic guitars layered with luscious chorus and flange effects, the new single from Torn Chorus, This City Floats, is brought to life with wailing electric lead guitar licks and slides that sound melodically precise and emotive. Crisp vocals tell you about the labour and reward that you get for following the beaten path to the top, which as the video shows so well, is Auckland’s remnant volcanic cones, but the metaphor could be used for any journey in life.
Read More...
Villainy - EP Review: Dead Sides (The Lost EP)
18 Aug 2021 // by Andrew Smit
How wonderful it is to hear 5 new Villainy songs of rip roaring rock tunes that coalesce intimately in this EP format. There is a so much more spice added to this rock pot than the standard rock fare that you might consume from mainstream radio, and while comparisons to Shihad are apparent with their sound influenced by previous Tom Larkin produced material, but these tracks are self-produced and is a touch more raw and edgy.
Read More...
View All Articles By Andrew Smit

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • WE CAN'T BE FRIENDS (WAIT FOR YOUR LOVE)
    Ariana Grande
  • BEAUTIFUL THINGS
    Benson Boone
  • END OF BEGINNING
    Djo
  • LOSE CONTROL
    Teddy Swims
  • TEXAS HOLD 'EM
    Beyonce
  • STICK SEASON
    Noah Kahan
  • PRAISE JAH IN THE MOONLIGHT
    YG Marley
  • CARNIVAL
    Kanye West And Ty Dolla $ign
  • SATURN
    SZA
  • LOVIN ON ME
    Jack Harlow
View the Full NZ Top 40...
muzic.net.nz Logo
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report a ProblemReport A Problem