Those already familiar with one of New Zealand’s finest solo producers Sola Rosa wouldn’t have a shadow of a doubt that their latest release Low and Behold, High and Beyond would be filled with catchy beats, a huge range of styles and quality recordings; and that’s purely what this album has.
Full of contributions from up-and-coming artists, such as Oliver Daysoul, L.A Mitchell and Spikey Tee, this album seems to take a new direction with each song, while still holding onto the funk-pop backbone (think Jamiroquai) that Sola Rosa has perfected.
The entire release features a mix of jazz, hip hop, pop and funk, but no genre seems to lose its flare throughout the release, staying fresh until the album’s close.
Each track is wonderfully composed and produced, with opener “Promise (feat. Oliver Daysoul)” rife with layers that fit together almost perfectly.
Intermission track “Lion’s Den”, while without vocals, remains one of the album’s top pieces with its head-bopping beat and addictive horn section.
Naturally, this album is going to sound manufactured and without the soul that one would find in a release that a band hid away in a forest recording, but there isn’t much else that distracts from this album’s greatness.
It’s hard to tire of this release, and it’s one that will find its way into your head for a very long time.
– Tom Gaffney
