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Acid Jazz might be 25 years old this year but Tri-Sound is a young pretender. The new label co-founded by Eddie Piller (who was responsible for the Acid Jazz label with Gilles Peterson) are supporting the old hand of Noel McKoy Brighter Day.

You’ll recall Tri-Sound launched with The Third Degree’s version of the pop hit Mercy giving it the full 60s Ronson treatment. But McKoy’s album is more of exactly that, an album of tracks that are a proper body of work kicking off with the title track, a belter of a deep soul/gospel of ‘Brighter Day’ where the echoes of Solomon Burke, Joe Tex and Major Lance and more have all have an influence.

And talking of talking of things that are big up North, ‘Great Big Gap’ is seminal Northern Soul at a traditional Northern Soul classic length (2:57). Like the opener, big production sound that doesn’t hold back. And a quick check of the credits, there’s a certain ‘Levine’ on the next one, ‘Special Delivery’ that’s Noel shares the vocals with Ebony Allyne. It’s got Jazz FM written all over it (so to speak) which is what Mr. Levine has been doing for his entire career (as recently referred to on Disco Discharge: Gay Disco & Hi NRG).

The best of the northern stompers is ‘Determined Man’ that has all the elements but without sounding cliché; whilst, on the other hand, the lyrics of ‘Reading Between The Lines’ do not.

“I. Levine” is one of names in the plethora of names listed in McKoy’s sleeve notes of “Loved Ones/Lost Ones” that have shaped the last 20 odd years of UK soul, funk and jazz. And the same can be said of the musicians in the band, including Bluey Maunick (he of Incognito), Ski Okenfull (The Bays, Galliano, Two Banks Of Four, etc), Tony Remy (First Protocol) and Snowboy (From Jazz Funk & Fusion to Acid Jazz: The History Of The UK Jazz Dance Scene)

And it’s the names of Okenfull, Maunick and McKoy that stand out on the Temptations/Curtis Mayfield/Chi Lites/Isley Brothers inspired ‘Jealousy’, subject matter obvious - strings and percussion sublime. And whilst in the nightmare of 70s urban apocalypse, what we need is ‘Love In The City’ that picks up on that past/present eras.

For those longing for the Sunday night soul lovers revival (L. Vandross et al), you’ll love ‘Merry Go Round’ (actually it’s a bit of a grower, with great bass that might be Neville ‘Level’ Malcolm; who also appears on the album of the year by Emanative, Space!)

Back to the talcum power (for the dancefloor of course), ‘Shadow Of A Dream’ swings with strings and “ohhhhs” of the backing vocals and ‘Skating On Thin Ice’ gets the big horn and 60s handclap treatment.

The album ends on a big soul ballad and whilst all of the tracks on Brighter Days have a foot (or more) in the past, it’s not a lazy lame re-production piece. You can feel the love coming out of your speakers such that you’ll believe that there are brighter days on the horizon.

Forthcoming dates:
12/11/2009 20:00 at EAST VILLAGE, 89 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3HX -“Showcase of Noel’s nu album plus nu artist Sherry Davis”. FREE www.eastvillageclub.com

Reviewed: Noel McKoy - Brighter Day (Tri Sound) Cat. No: TRI3000 Release date: 10th 2009
Tracklisting
1 Brighter Day (3:48)
2 Great Big Gap (2:57)
3 Special Delivery (3:13)
4 Fly Away With Me (4:24)
5 Determined Man (3:23)
6 Read Between The Lines (3:37)
7 Jealousy (4:42)
8 Merry Go Round (5:52)
9 Shadow Of A Dream (3:32)
10. Shaking On Thin Ice (3:27)
11. Love In The City (5:18)
12 Tumbling Down (4:47)

Links:
noelmckoymusic.com
myspace.com/noelmckoy
myspace.com/trisoundmusic
www.acidjazz.co.uk