Review: Smoove & Turrell – Stratos Bleu

The North-East’s finest chemistry students have fired up the alchemy on this one. Do It – the first single from the album and the lead track, immediately stops the rain from pissing down and turns on the Balearic sunshine. Thankfully the album never loses its class till the blue vinyl stops spinning.

I laughed at the title as my old man stank of Blue Stratos aftershave which he mixed with Park Drive ciggies and Banks’s Bitter. We have a pretty explosive cocktail here as well, a blend of Chic Organization, Northern Soul, Chicago House, Trip Hop with funk and electronica stirred in.

If it was just about the dancefloor bangers then This Time, It Aint Working & E.P. would make the album a must have but John Turrell’s lyricism particularly on Elgin Towers, It’s You & Talk About Nothing make the album as vital off the dancefloor as on it.

In my continuing task of weaning away 60MW resident rock chick Tina from listening to noise and replacing it with the funky stuff, I recently sent her a YouTube Link to some choice Smoove & Turrell, I got a message back the next day which simply said “I’m in”.

Open your minds, give this a play and you will be too.

https://smooveturrell.bandcamp.com/album/stratos-bleu

Review by Steve.