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(Palm Pictures/FMR)
Who wouldn’t want to be a Supreme Being of Leisure? In seems the best way to sell something these days is by associating it with a particularly favourable lifestyle. Can you think of many more appropriately named musical acts? The name, the music, the cover art…it all reflects the glamorous life of leisurely pursuits.
This is the second album from SBL and sees the former LA based four-piece reduced to just two members; multi instrumentalist and programmer Ramin Sakurai and singer Geri Soriano-Lightwood. Extra assistance is provided by people including Suzi Katayama & the Supreme Love Orchestra with string arrangements, Bill Meyers with string arrangements, and DJ Swamp & DJ True 129 with scratching. The result is an album that combines chic lounge and sexy dancefloor music so that no matter what your mood you will be able to find something to accompany you on your leisurely pursuits. Very slick and polished production, combined with sassy vocals, make it very inviting indeed.
When SBL are in dancefloor mode it’s all about uplifting melodies and vocals, a thumping 4/4 beat and a driving bass line to get your booty shakin’. Album opener Give Up is exactly this. As Geri is singing “it’s time to give up boy, your mine, your mine” you can imagine a dancefloor of smiling faces singing along. Similar things could be said about Divine, with an even funkier bass line, and Touch Me with its disco feel.
Much mention (both in promotional material and reviews) is made about the 70’s sounding string arrangements (courtesy of Katayama) and the old Bond film type feel to some of the tracks. With Bond probably a pinup to those in pursuit of the leisurely lifestyle and the music from such films often stirring feelings of saucy luxurious locations it should come as no surprise that this essence has tried to be captured. Indeed listen to Get Away and you’re reminded of Shirley Bassey’s Goldfinger with the punchy brass and the sassy vocals.
Where SBL excel is with their more lounge sounding material. Sweeping string arrangements, appropriately programmed beats and THAT voice. The more times I listen to the album the more I am taken in by the voice of Geri Soriano-Lightwood. Whether it’s soft and sweet, lost and dreamy or brassy and ballsy she seems capable of it all. Ultimately this is the clincher for me in deciding I need to take up more leisurely pursuits, if it makes me feel the same way as that voice does I’m sold. Definitely worth checking out. It’s not for getting deep down and dirty to, but you can’t do that all the time now can you?
