The inventiveness of the first couple
New Sector Movements singles, released on People in the late '90s, doesn't escalate on
IG Culture's first album under that name. Listeners who picked up those bold, ambitious tracks when they were initially dropped might be somewhat dismayed that
Culture has more or less opted to stick with that sound -- a sound that, nonetheless, helped shape West London's loose community of like-minded producers on through the early 2000s. Throughout
Download This,
Culture surrounds himself with several of West London's finest session hands:
Kaidi Tatham co-writes a handful of tracks and lends keyboards,
Izzi Dunn contributes some strings, and the voices of
Julie Dexter and
Bembe Segue animate many of the productions. In spite of intricate drum programming from
Culture, these players help give the album a live feel that will appeal to those who come to broken beat from an acid jazz or jazz-funk angle -- the spirit is much in line with the machine-manipulated records made by people like
Stevie Wonder,
Roy Ayers, and
Herbie Hancock during the '70s and '80s. "The Sun," featuring
Frank McComb on vocals and keys, is the closest to an outright throwback, resembling a cover version of a missing song from the first side of
Innervisions. Though the album is dotted by the occasional dud, listeners should dig deep, especially since the 11th slot holds the most charming moment. Arriving on an infectious stop-start bassline and keyboards that shoot sun rays, "Download This" is a showcase for acrobatic vocalist
Eska, whose multi-tracked voice forms a deliciously complex arrangement. ~ Andy Kellman