EP Review: New Tomorrows

I can’t believe Andrew Spraggon (aka Sola Rosa) has been going for 25 years!

Over that time he’s collaborated with a huge number of up-and-coming and established artists from across the globe, making albums that span vast distances and imagination. Names like Noah Slee, Jordan Rakei, Iva Lankum, Nathan Haines and LA Mitchell are emblazoned across the liner notes of his 7+ albums, multiple remix projects, singles and umpteen videos.

His brand, if you can call It that, leans toward jazz and lounge with a generous helping of exotic flavourings like Mariachi horns, nods to Morricone Spaghetti Westerns, LA beach parties, Latin and Samba sessions, house ’n’ bass grooves, plus every other stop along the way.

His output has been genre defying – categories are for those lacking imagination – funk, soul, reggae, EDM. Call it what you will. Whatever he makes, it’s always a journey worth taking.

Going from solo electronic studio-based production to working with live musicians his music is always evolving. And it’s that live touch to the loops, samples, vocals and harmonies that brings the magic, I reckon.

So, I was a little dismayed when I learned that month’s drop might be the last with a crew of actual players, as it looks like he’s looking to return to his roots. Back to just a man and his laptop, I wonder. Could that be happening?

“While I’m proud of this body of work,” Spraggon says in his publicity, “I’ve moved away from writing music specifically to be performed with a live band. That focus has shifted, and this EP marks the end of that era.”

It’d be hard to follow up the true alchemy on this the new EP New Tomorrows with AI or digital creations after such a fluid performance as this magnificent collection. This drop comes on the heels of Chasing the Sun (2020), which earned him a swag of well-deserved international and local praise and continues the Kaupapa of good vibes and festive dance floor bangers .

Spraggon describes this EP as a “bridge to the future, marking the close of an era defined by collaboration-driven, live band-focused recording”.

That said, he hasn’t entirely retreated into a dark cave of knobs and dials. There’s a truckload of personnel on board including big hitters like Lewis McCallum, Julien Dyne, Jeremy Toy, Kenji Iwamitsu-Holdaway, Finn Scholes, Joe Kaptein, Michael Howell, and regular Sola Rosa band members like Ben White, Matt Short and Peter Leupolu. With a crew like that, there’s a guarantee this set will sound amazing. It does!

The EP begins with some super ‘sax-y’ acid jazz loops on the track Seeds. An appropriate bookend to open the set and lay down the vibe of expectations.

But it’s the second track, Tears Roll Down, that gives us the first ‘proper’ song layered in a relaxed late-night cool soul/acid jazz groove. While the lyrics hint at a toxic/addictive relationship, you can help being mesmerised by Ghanaian / Australian R&B vocalist AKOSIA’s swaggering, yet gravelly tones. She gives this number real class and gravitas. I was reminded of how previous collaborators with a similar vocal range, (such as Iva Lankum on Turn Around or German vocalist Bajka on Humanised) also stole the show this way. All three have that worldly soul presence on Spraggon’s classic wax tracks.

The title track New Tomorrows is another perfectly formed instrumental. Is this a hint at what’s likely to come on the much hinted at new album currently in the works, I wonder. While there’s a desire to move forward, I can’t help thinking this one is more of a perfect leap backwards to the sounds of early 2000’s cafe culture when every late night java joint played Galliano and Nathan Haines. The giveaway is the jazzy flutes on this cruis-y number (are you sure Nathan Haines hadn’t just dropped by during the recording sessions?)

The Sun Doesn’t Shine rides a newer funk- wave, with youthful vox from Bristol born/Auckland based Joe Probert (The Honeycomb Dreams). Probert’s a new name to me. I did a search and found pretty much nothing about him, although that’s bound to change. He describes himself as a “singer songwriter, gardener and cowboy” on Spraggon’s band camp. All good qualities for a good tune, I’d say. I love his mid-range tenor, which sits between that traditional deep soul and FM rock voice. It has a definite mid 70’s feel about the songs. Think Doobies meets Afrika Bambaataa – perhaps.

Alongside Spraggon’s keyboards and samples Jeremy Toy and Ben White bring some outstanding funk guitars. And Finn Scholes adds a touch of old school class with his vibraphone.

Get On is my favourite late night groove. Someone goes to goes to town on the drum kit (is that Julien Dyne?) sparring with flautist to take the title of standout soloist on this number. At the risk of over using the word this one is super, super funky, too.

There are some angelic harmonics, some French Cafe-style guitar fretwork and a lolloping bass to take us along on Cypress Tree. And AKOSIA returns with another swooning performance. Close your eyes and you could be listening to Angie Stone, Betty Davis or maybe Erykah Badu, even. It’s satisfying soul, for sure.

To close out, Probert returns for another delicious 70’s styled jazz/soul ballad called Heaven Could Be Close. He goes high into the falsettos for the chorus, swirling in layers of George Clinton-esque space funk keyboards and yet more late night sax appeal to round it all off.

While this might be Spraggon’s last hurrah with live instrumentation, I am still excited to see what he has in store next. It’s a long way from Solarized to New Tomorrows but the future still looks bright. Sure, you can magic up most of these tunes on an AI power digi- tool but why would you want to? While the recordings are a hybrid mix of studio and session contributions Simon Gooding (Ed Sheeran, Pink, Neil Finn) has mixed them up to fool me into thinking everything was made live and direct. Something I’m truly thankful for. You can just feel the energy of a warm reed or the reverb of a bass string and the clashing back-beat of a snare. With his expert ear and immaculate collaborations Spraggon’s put together yet another superb selection. As a musician he’s shining on. I hope it comes out on vinyl. I’ll be first in line.