THE TIBBS are a continental Premier League Dutch soul and funk outfit whose last two albums won ‘em plenty of friends. Both their 2016 LP ‘Takin’ Over’ and 2020’s ‘Another Shot Fired’ proffered an authentic take on classic soul and there’s no reason to doubt that their upcoming album, ‘Keep It To Yourself’ (due January) will be any different, especially if the set’s first single is anything to go by.
This new album-announcing single is an energetic ‘Ain’t It Funny’. It’s a proper soul stomper with racing beats, parping brass and a soulful vocal from Roxanne Hartog. We’re told that the song is “about a feeling of powerlessness. Some of the world’s problems seem too big to be tackled by yourself, and that can make you feel small. Do the things we do in our daily life really have an impact on the bigger picture?”, but it’s the big authentic sound that’s the grabber here. Stick a white cover up label on it and play it loud at Northern “do” and you’d fool plenty of punters into thinking it’s an old 60s cut from one of those venerated, old US labels!
‘Ain’t It Funny’ is out now; ‘Keep It to Yourself’, will be released on LP, CD and digital format next January 26th on Milan-based label Record Kicks and it’s now available for pre-order on the label’s website recordkicks.com and on Bandcamp.
