Reviewed by Steve Best

Three albums in and it just keeps on getting better for the Perth-based jazz funk gospel band. After some of the more extended cuts on their two previous records, ‘Covered’ is altogether more concise; leaner and meaner, but no less funky, and no less hard hitting in its lyrical content. Made all the more remarkable by the theft of vital equipment just prior to recording, ‘Covered’ is jam-packed with radio-friendly hits which just cry out for airplay. “The Answer” is an apt statement of intent, “I Need Your Love” with its brass stabs and shimmering dance flava keeps things bubbling deliciously, while “Step Up”, “Princess” and “Stand” are irresistibly infectious slices of funky dance-pop with a message that is never far from the surface. If it’s possible to top their first two records, they have done it here with an album that will never fail to transport the listener to high summer, while challenging them on what’s really important in their life. If you only buy one jazz-funk album this year, it’s gotta be this one.

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