Incognito

Incognito Eleven
Narada records 2006

Bluey Maunick still has some music in him. Incognito return to a more grounded earthy smooth funk and soul vibe with their latest, Eleven. After a couple of albums where they seemed unsure as to fall fully into smooth jazz limbo or gloss over their sound with mediocre electronica, they seem to have over the last release and this one, of going back to the 70s informed sound that made them a pop-soul/acid-jazz powerhouse . Their pop sense still has a slightly cheesy streak, similar to the more obtuse disco elements of Jamiroquai, as it does on It's Just One of Those Things. The same could be said for the ripped straight from the Chic playbook cut Come Away With Me. But it is also almost shamefully (like Chic and Jamiroquai) hook-laden and catchy.

When Tomorrow Brings You Down is a slack groove for lazy afternoon with heavy soul easy-going aftertastes, as are the bulk of the other songs. Of note, this return is fueled in large part by a tight rhythm section. The past few albums had the drums and bass obfuscated or replaced en toto often by programming, and here the use is minimal. Otherwise, when overused, results in throwaway tracks such as We Got Music.

Eleven has (name) playing with a compact, punchy sound that provides an anchorpoint for the rest of the instrumentation to layer over. This is best heard on the largely instrumental Let the Mystery Be and Jacaranda, both clocking at over 6 minutes each. As with most Incognito cuts, even the lesser songs are ripe for improvement or radical reinterpretation via remixes (I can almost guarentee Show Me Love will get this treatment, as its vocal lines and house-friendly structure just scream for Miguel Migs, Aquanote or Masters At Work to give it the once-over).

Of special note is that Bluey has not only kept Maysa as lead singer (her voice being most associated with the group), but also picked up the much underrated Carleen Anderson (Young Disciples, Brand New Heavies, Bryan Ferry), which gives a fiery counterpoint to Maysa's honeyed vocals.