More about: KOKOROKO

London based eight-piece Kokoroko swiftly made a name for themselves with the success of their self-titled debut EP, and in particular the delicate sleeper hit ‘Abusey Junction’. Their debut album Could We Be More arrives two years later, during which time their reputation has only grown from continuous critical acclaim and high profile live spots.

With sounds from soul, jazz, funk and R’n’B pervading the fifteen tracks, overarching influences come from Nigerian Afrobeat and the West-African and Caribbean communities that the band members grew up around. 

The overall atmosphere brims with positivity and warmth, delightfully set out by the opener ‘Tojo’, highlife-inspired ‘We Give Thanks’ and ‘These Good Times’, a nostalgic sweet soul shuffler. The beautiful ‘Home’ is amongst a series of shorter tracks, reprises and interludes that thread the album together and adds divergent degrees of experimentation.

Elsewhere, in contrast to the general vibe, ‘War Dance’ bubbles with angst, anger and frustration, while ‘Something’s Going On’ rolls with expectation of changes afoot. An approachable, easily enjoyed debut, Could We Be More sets its own question for what Kokoroko may deliver in the future. 

Could We Be More arrives 5 August via Brownswood Recordings.

Grab your copy of the Gigwise print magazine here.

More about: KOKOROKO