This DJing and producing duo from Cambridge in England are famous for their mashing up of styles and their disregard for classifications of underground/overground, as they showed in a storming set at Good Vibrations a couple of years ago. And this, their third studio album, is also an interesting mix of influences underpinned by a funky beat and a vision of a dancefloor somewhere.

The opening track with Alice Russell, sounds much like one of her own - grooving bass line and soaring vocals in a funky, soulful number. Then Blood Fire takes the first of the ragga-influenced turns with bumping bass, Dynamite MC’s toasting, and reverb, a combination that reappears later on Concentrate.

Did No Wrong introduces the vocals of Fat Freddy’s Drop front man Joe Dukie to proceedings in a gently reggae-influenced downbeat tune with a longing, yearning voice and lyrics of loss pulling gently at the heartstrings while the beats move your body. Choice. As is the second tune using this formula, Drop, although this one sounds very much like a Jazzanova mid-tempo four four groove complete with funky keys and squelchy bass.

Folky soul enters the equation with Faithless’ LSK and some gently strummed strings on Tuffen Up and he springs up again later with a tune that is perhaps more Faithless than Nextmen – Memory Lane sounds like an entry on a Chill Out Sessions compilation rather than an album by these gritty beats purveyors.

Then Kidz In The Hall add some of what you’d probably more associate with this duo – hip hop.

But then things go slightly Zero 7 with a female-voiced chilled song over rolling beats and keys and atmospherics on Something You Got before the sounds go even more familiar on the Top 40 R&B sounding Move, which could easily be a chart topper for them but maybe won’t have too many fans amongst their usual fanbase.

That track is sandwiched by a couple of reggae tunes featuring Niney The Observer and Demolition Man respectively. The former being quite mellow and the latter featuring a killer horn arrangement and bouncing beat that will be dancefloor killer!

Things wrap up on a mutedly epic, chill out type tune that features Zarif on vocals and is, again, rather Zero 7.

Unfortunately, the last few tracks on this album do sound more like The Nextmen trying to be other people rather than paving the way for others to follow. But, fear not, the first two-thirds of this album is a mostly killer mix of hip hop, ragga, and musical downbeat electronics. When it goes a little commercial-sounding, just flick back to the grimey soul of the earlier sounds.

Rating: 7/10

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http://www.teknoscape.com.au/forums/showthread.php?p=1383032

Tracklist:
1. Let It Roll - Nextmen & Alice Russell 
2. Blood Fire - Nextmen & Dynamite MC 
3. Did No Wrong - Nextmen & Dallas 
4. Tuffen Up - Nextmen & LSK 
5. Knowledge Be Born - Nextmen & Kidz In The Hall 
6. Something Got You - Nextmen & Zarif 
7. Concentrate - Nextmen & Dynamite MC 
8. Drop - Nextmen & Dallas 
9. Let It Be - Nextmen & Niney The Observer 
10. Move - Nextmen & Zarif 
11. Piece Of The Pie - Nextmen & Demolition Man 
12. Camera Tricks - Nextmen & Sway/Bridgette Amofah 
13. Memory Lane - Nextmen & LSK 
14. This Was Supposed To Be The Future - Nextmen & Zarif 

This was a RTRFM Full Frequency album feature.

Label: Antidote/Beat Broker