Illumination Experience are a UK-based soul trio and over the last couple of years they’ve been quietly making a name for themselves via a carefully selected and discreetly released series of singles that have found favour with the sophisticated soul crowd.
One of those singles, ‘Get Down’ is the one of the focal points of the band debut LP. Modern soul connoisseurs will already know it; but if you don’t, then be assured it a foot-tapping slab of retro disco. It comes with real quality assured – a certain Bluey was involved in its creation – and it has a flavour of prime time EWF about it too. Maurice White’s mob is clearly a big favourite of the trio… several of the tunes here have more than a whiff of EWF to them…. I’m thinking of ‘Obsession’, ‘Challenge To The Rhythm’ and the ballad ‘Into You’ which has that sort of strangely strangled Phil Bailey falsetto lead and soaring harmonies. The band even offer a straight cover of an EWF classic – ‘What You Won’t Do For Love’. The production’s not as big as the original but the overall structure sticks to the EWF template.
Other album goodies include the laid-back ‘When I Fall’ – a kind of smooth jazz meets blue-eyed soul; the Latin-flavoured dancer ‘Now Is The Right Time’ and the sweetly harmonic ‘Lies’. There’s nothing not to like here; though purist soul die hards might find some of the inclusions a little bland.
The album is currently available via all the usual interest platforms.
(BB) 3/5
