Sola Rosa: Get It Together (Way Up)

 |   |  <1 min read

Sola Rosa: Del Ray
Sola Rosa: Get It Together (Way Up)

Sola Rosa (known to his folks as Andrew Spraggon) has frequently recalibrated our expectations of local electronica and for this ambitious outing, his fourth album, he once again sets his sights far over the immediate horizon.

On a global sojourn through space and time he seems to stumble into the exotic world of James Bond flicks in the late Seventies (the opener The Ace of Space) and follows that with some funky soul elevated by guest vocalist Iva Lamkum (whom Elsewhere is pleased to have hailed about 18 months ago).

Elsewhere there are Latin-style trumpets and scratching (the terrific, loping Del Ray has hints of Latino star Juanes about it), the thump of Forties jump jive (Humanised with singer Bajka), splashes of reggae (a little cliched in the toasting it needs to be said), superb guitar throughout from Ben White (acoustic and electric) and much more.

The sheer musical diversity (and channeled energy) here lifts this one well above the pack, and above the previous output by Sola Rosa.

There's also an admirable democracy here and the news that Spraggon is taking this on a national tour with a live band (and some of the guest artists) tells you this is the album which is going to take him on the long journey which this one suggests. 

Share It

Your Comments

Angela Soutar - Dec 26, 2009

I love this for its variety - and it has been given approval by other household members, a real cheerful one to play over the summer holidays. i can understand that elsewhere wants to focus on music we NZers might not otherwise find, but this and Dimmer's would be on my best for 2009 list if I had a wide enough collection!

post a comment

More from this section   Music at Elsewhere articles index

Darkstar: North (Hyperdub/Southbound)

Darkstar: North (Hyperdub/Southbound)

By happy coincidence I mistook this band's name for that of a prog outfit I was once curious about -- maybe if I had heard the words "dubstep electronia" (which is how they are sometimes... > Read more

The Brian Jonestown Massacre: Something Else (A Recordings/Southbound)

The Brian Jonestown Massacre: Something Else (A Recordings/Southbound)

The title on this new album by the very prolific Anton Newcombe and his fellow travellers is interesting of itself. It may refer to the Beatles album of a similar title (the typically... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

NO DIRECTION HOME a film about Bob Dylan by MARTIN SCORSESE (2005)

NO DIRECTION HOME a film about Bob Dylan by MARTIN SCORSESE (2005)

Against expectation, 2005 was a rare year for 64-year old Bob Dylan, especially since he hadn’t had an album of new material out in four years. Yet Dylan seemed to be everywhere in... > Read more

dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip: Angles (2008)

dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip: Angles (2008)

Hip-hop's global reach was achieved well over two decades ago now, and because "the word" is the most important medium for a message in any culture it's no surprise that just about... > Read more