Manchester’s THE SECRET NIGHT GANG (essentially Kemani Anderson and Callum Connell) are a nu-age soul band whose recent singles have divided the UK soul community. You see the boys deliver an unusual sound; for sure it’s not conventional soul music but it packs bags of intrigue and interest. Sadly the more conservative amongst the soul brigade don’t get it! They want old school and retro but that’s not what these secret gardeners are all about. For sure classic soul is at the roots of their sound but they’re envelope pushers; they want to offer something fresh and innovative. Thus, the more broad minded have taken the duo to their hearts (and souls); none more so than Gilles Peterson who quickly signed them to his Brownswood label and that’s the imprint for their new album, ‘Belongs To A Place Called Earth’
The ten tracker breathes new life into the classic British street soul sound and delivers provocative lyrics that discuss the importance of kindness in the uncertainty of our existence. Of the album title, Kemani says: “Whilst we’re on planet earth, it is important to be thoughtful and to be kind to one another, and to not take the days we have with each other for granted – because they could be halted at any moment.” And that’s the message delivered consistently throughout the album.
Track cherry picking is redundant as the album is meant to be digested as one whole but the early singles, ‘Out Of My Head’ and ‘Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings’ still sound fresh alongside new tracks like ‘When Will The Sun Rise Again’ and ‘Find A Way’, which if we needed a reference point, could be Stevie Wonder in more experimental mode.
Yes, ‘Belongs To A Place Called Earth’ isn’t for everyone but if you have adventurous ears you’ll discover all sorts of treasure and you may even want to catch the band on tour . Learn more @ https://secretnightgang.com/
