Here comes the North American release of the album from the mighty mighty Antipodean musical force that is Fat Freddy's Drop. The 7-piece band is already recognized all over Europe, Australasia and the Far East as one of the brightest, tightest live acts worldwide with amazing musical synchronicity and a lead singer with a voice baked in honey.

Starting with a colossal dubby workout and the perfect scene setter, “Ernie” is stretched out to tease the salivating listener until Dallas/Joe Dukie's voice finally appears out of the beautiful haze triumphantly, like a primal siren. The epic proportions of the band’s sound is matched by the regularity of seven minute songs on this release and that not one second is wasted is entirely fitting. The crispness of “Cays Crays” slow burns through to the giant “This Room” showcasing the kinetic energy of this modern mesh of dub, soul, funk and roots-reggae sound.

Never at any stage does the premium musicianship slip and the soundscape only accentuates the quality and sheer smoothness of that lead vocal. “Ray Ray” shows the soulful underbelly that permeates and underpins the album as a whole. It is a slice of utter calm that continues through to the lovely acoustic beginnings of “Dark Days,” a spacey ballad with beautiful lyrics and a radiant clarity. The tempo and style change throughout taking in electronica (check the superb “Flashback”), but the listener can never escape that musical heat and that super smooth vocal.

In “Roady” and “Wandering Eye,” you truly get a sense of the skanking beast that the band morphs into as a live act. Every single person leaves the venue injected directly with a massive musical high. The disc ends on a more serene, but equally joyful mood with “Hope,” a song title that could not be better chosen to explain why this band exemplifies the true power of music and its borderless nation.

Believe in real music, listen to Fat Freddy's Drop and feel that feeling in your soul. Utterly essential.