Moors & Christians [Audio CD] Hardway, James

Moors and Christians is the fourth album from Englishman James Hardway, aka David Harrow, ex-member of Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart and collaborator with the likes of Andy Weatherall and Billie Ray Martin. His previous albums have operated at the mellower end of the admittedly unsettling spectrum where jungle-y breakbeats meet improvised jazz. With this album, though, he's obviously decided that his net of inspiration wasn't spread wide enough and has gone raiding in the Caribbean for an invigorating set of world beats to supplement his previous sound. This input was initially recorded live and feels fresh, with percussion contributions reminiscent of the Buena Vista Social Club coming from Havana sessions and vocal contributions recorded both there and in Kingston, Jamaica. Fitting singing over danceable grooves is always a delicate art and the vocals feel crude and clunky on "Crystal Ball". Usually, however, they fit the spirit of the music well and sometimes, as on "Movin On" and "Choco Blanco", (incidentally the two well-chosen singles) they are quite brilliant. With the help of London-based musicians including Theo Gordon's Urban Horn section and his own intrumental and production contributions Hardway creates a seamless package from these disparate elements. The admirable aim seems to be to create a modern music driven by meaty real-time grooves and his success makes Moors and Christains a genuinely interesting exploration. --James Swift