Big Brothers

Veteran Jamaican roots singer Winston McAnuff and French accordionist Fixi collaborate again here on a long-awaited second album; McAnuff used their bold 2013 debut as a spark to reignite his career. That album, A New Day, cast Fixi as the perfect accompaniment to McAnuff's soulful, Bobby Womack-esque vocals. McAnuff then joined roots reggae's ultimate supergroup for last year's hugely successful Inna De Yard. Fans of A New Day will be pleased to hear little has changed from their winning formula. If it had to be categorized, Big Brothers does have a distinctly Afrobeat pulse, provided by the quick percussion of jazz drummer Cyril Atef, which rather muscles out the reggae and accordion elements. The opening track's Cuban piano loop sets the tone in terms of coolness, while lead single ‘One Note’ features a gritty cameo from Angolan rapper Pongo that carries an urgent message at the heart of the album. Indeed, Fixi and McAnuff consider Big Brothers' birth to have been at a 2005 New Year's Eve party at the Calais Jungle. Winston channels his Rasta spirit to all the displaced looking for a new land to call home and while his lyrics might sometimes get lost to non-Jamaican ears, his inspiration comes through strong.