Jump Leads

Aside from occasional sampled spoken words, FB never used singers, their endlessly inventive brand of synthesised / sample / organic funk and electronica strong, inventive and intriguing enough to not need vocals or songs. But following their live 2001 FB@V&A album, they returned with 2002’s Jump Leads, which included vocalist Steve Edwards of Presence on four tracks. He sings on the beautiful string-laden bluesy “Spill The Beans,” squelchy-synth-funker “We Build Arks,” the emo-electro “Nightfall” and folkish album finisher “The Green Green Grass of Homegrown.” Bits of folk and dub, jazz and techno, hints of library and lounge music, a flavour of trip hop here, a drop of synthwave there, their genius is to make it all, somehow, work together, and blend into something new, which they do here, again, with considerable aplomb.