Will Ricketts’ album, ‘John Dryden’, was one of my favourites of last year – a kaleidoscopic pop gem, bursting with ideas. And this EP, arriving rather swiftly on the heels of his debut full-lengther, shows that Ricketts is far from being out of ideas. The four tracks here, created with Mike Fabulous (Black Seeds, Fly My Pretties) move through deep dub and funk styles, blunted disco and jam-band frivolities. There are genuine ska lines – something that so often seems to be vaguely hinted at with NZ releases – and an expert appropriation of the soca groove propels Celebration Minstrels, featuring members of Twinset and Fat Freddys Drop. Perfectly paced and placed, these tracks exemplify the EP format being used correctly; simultaneously the listener will crave for more and realise this is the perfect amount, the repeat button coming in to play, to satiate.

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NZ Musician

April/May 2010