One of the most intriguing proposals of recent months comes from Kent: five musicians with a varied artistic background (they boast collaborations with Sault, Little Simz and Michael Kiwanuka) who with spirit free-form they give life to a afro-synth-funk which feeds on punk irreverence, adventurous kraut sounds and ethno-psych melismas.
“Outtanational” is an involuntarily exotic album, full of compelling and elegantly harsh rhythmic solutions, branded by the vocal exuberance of Falle Nioke, singer and percussionist from Guinea, who provides the right input to Graham Godfrey (drums), Josh Ludlow (bass), Steve Pringle (synthesizers) and Tom Dream (guitar). An unpredictable sound excursion that brings together the energy of African music with restless electronic sounds and dub-reggae.
The afro synth-pop of “NRG” not only opens the album, but underlines the powerful instrumental mixture between the five protagonists, far from the DIY aesthetic but not from its ethical reasons; the invigorating funk digressions based on Casio pocket synthesizers of “Miami”, the equally tantalizing forays into disco music more subversive of the 70s of “Mirror Test” and the electro-rock degenerations of “Future Country” complete a somewhat askew sound mosaic.
“Outtanational” is a record that skillfully balances itself between cosmopolitan temptations – the Afro-psychedelia of “Caramel” and indie-pop lightnesses a la Tv On The Radio (“Today Is Another Day”) – only conceptually in contrast with the spurious kraut-rock in western style of “Hype Prototype” and with the biting synthesis of post-punk, funk-dance, afro-kraut of “Black James Dean”, a song destined for the role of ecstatic catchphrase of the year.
Pigeon (by the way the name was taken from Falle Noike's first pet) with “Outtanational” are a candidate for the title of the most pleasantly wild band of the year, thanks to an original and not easily definable album, courageous but never self-indulgent. A multicultural hybrid perfect for summer.
06/23/2026
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
