Hollis Parker
The Last Raw Era
SoSure Music

Cited by Hollis as: “This album is basically a culmination of everything I’ve done musically up until now” and you can readily feel all that inspiration and acquired knowledge etched into every groove. Playing like a bittersweet love story to New York will surely resonate with those who have been equally inspired by the city and all its associated imaginings. That notion is compacted by the use of sampled speech and stories which go to illuminate the cinematic atmospheres so comfortably highlighted by that breathless skyline. There are also plenty of Jazz and Bluesy references which chime with the musical landscape informing the tempting escapism all the more resolutely. Indeed, the music continues to tease out deeper, more soulful qualities alongside purposely retro drum-machines, notes and styles which I more than suspect will feel just as good located in any era.