Cymande
Renascence

Slobbering. Now when I wake up, it can happen (it happens) that I find a line of drool coming from my mouth. Old age is disgusting, and to think I don’t even feel old.

Then it happens (it happens) to casually listen to the track “Coltrane” and since we’re talking about a group of 9/10 members aged 75 and up, you wonder: “are these guys still alive?” Finding out that indeed some have already passed on, you suddenly feel attacked by the “eel whisper.” It happens (it happens?). In that case, it’s worth delving deeper because a certain kind of suspicion arises.

The elegant riffs contained in “Chasing An Empty Dream,” the cheerfulness of “Sweeden,” the guitars in “How We Roll,” Celeste’s (feat.) voice at the beginning of “Only One Way,” blatantly echoing Aretha to transport you into orchestral epicness, confirm that there is no doubt anymore. Renascence is a great album. Rhythms with percussion as if it’s raining, elegant arrangements as if there’s no tomorrow, yet never redundant or superfluous, horn sections that make you want to scream at the top of your lungs. Stuff to be listened to repeatedly by many “bitter youths.” Oh dear, I am definitely old.

The Cymande are 9 slobberers with immense musical credit and balls the size of this, they have a past of great soul and funk, add some groove (great groove), jazz reminiscences, vocals as black as pitch, and there you have Renascence.

Déjà-vu? Yes, but absolutely fresh, “contemporary,” and it’s also thanks to them that you realize that, after all, being old isn’t that bad, and a bit of drool is acceptable.