If you can handle hearing lyrics over high quality drum & bass production, add Tali's Lyric On My Lip to your short list. She's the Kiwi signed to Roni Size's Full Cycle label and if you don't know that name, it's time to sign up at your local tech college for Drum&Bass; 1:01. Suffice to say, if Roni is willing to produce this young New Zealander, plenty of people will be willing to give this album a spin. Roni's production is subtle and respects Tali's obvious lyrical talents; talents that run the full gamut from soulful crooning to syncopated rhymes that show a real flair for timing. My personal tastes are rarely defied by a performer, but I found myself especially liking Airport Lounge, a more melancholy effort, despite my usual repugnance for drum&bass; love songs. While Tali's voice softens the mix, the production resists temptation to sink further into Bukem-like handbag D&B; instead it remains very direct, spacious and tight; like the tough Take A Look, with keys that reminded me of early Massive Attack. Following the impressive multi-syllable onslaught of Satirie Stylez, the tracklisting is divided by the mostly instrumental Pressure Release, a nicely positioned break from Tali's vocals that prepares the listener for the big finish. Lyric On My Lip will attract the attention of radio with its darker bass and catchy hook, but Soul Star and Don't Blame Me prove that Tali's voice sounds just as impressive over more tribal and dub-oriented efforts. With the single Blazin featuring many of the genre's stars, let's hope it attracts enough attention to guide potential fans to the LP, Lyric On My Lip, which could further enforce the notion that drum&bass; has enough melody to find a more universal appeal.

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Tracklisting

Full listing of TALI releases