Kiss, Cuddle & Torture: Volume 2

Following their debut album, Kiss, Cuddle & Torture: Volume 1, the London-based mash-up reggae band The Hempolics have now released Volume 2. The new album sets a largely lighter mood than the grittier debut, such as ‘Place is Here’, a catchy song with a spacey 80s feel, whose ‘time is now’ refrain sounds like a clarion call to escape from an uncertain future. At the other extreme is ‘The Enemy’, nearly eight minutes long and laden with enigmatic overtones. In her beautifully languid drawl, vocalist Nubiya Brandon sings that ‘the enemy will come through and say it’s all for you.’ Not sure who or what the enemy is, but despite the song’s alluring tone I’m guessing they’re not good. The rest of the album – generously packed with 12 tracks – bounces along at a jaunty pace. Frontman Grippa Laybourne cites Jamaican ‘sonic legend’ King Tubby as his main muse, but he’s drawn together all the band’s musical influences here, blending reggae, R&B, hip-hop, soul, rocksteady, ska, jazz and rock. The Hempolic’s first album drew high praise, with fans on BBC Radio in particular. This tightly-crafted follow-up could win them a deservedly wider and bigger audience.