Kings Left Behind

Kings Left Behind is the fourth album from New York-based instrumental collective Ikebe Shakedown. Many of the band's members are actively involved in the city's soul revival scene, performing with outfits such as The Dap Kings, Lee Fields and the Monophonics. Accordingly, their projects are deeply indebted to this sound, with a heavy dose of Afrobeat horns thrown in for good measure. This Nigerian connection is also made manifest in their gaudy moniker, referring to a woman's bottom. Questionable tastes aside, the record is enjoyable and offers neat juxtapositions of R&B instrumentation and unison brass lines: ‘Not Another Drop’ is cinematic and bold; ‘The Witness’ is intriguing, and dovetails readily between trumpet flourishes and Delta blues guitar shimmers; ‘Over My Head’ grooves hard.

At times, however, it wanders into pastiche. ‘Mary's Corner’ marries a cutting – and overly distorted – guitar refrain with faux mariachi, while ‘No Going Back’ is dangerously close to Miami Vice incidental music.

Ikebe Shakedown are highly competent musicians and know how to hold down a tune. However, through being afforded ten tracks to explore their instrumental prowess, there are inevitably moments that resonate more than others.