Formed by saxophonist Sean Kahn and drummer Victor Starkey, SK Radicals specialise in sax and vocal led West London jazz infused soul.
Their sound is drenched in the Eighties soul jazz scene, so it isn't surprising to learn that they formed the band as a reaction to the rise of programmed beats and demise of live venues towards the end of that decade.
Joined by vocalist and frequent Rollercone collaborator Jacob Eggay, the trio first made an impression a couple of years ago with the release of 'Reachin 4 Da Farside', which is included on the album.
Their trademark is marrying old sounds to new attitude. 'Bit Bomb Funk' could be a melow Maceo or All The King's Men track, were it not for the clarity of production.
Elsewhere, tracks such as 'In Pursuit of Trane' take on Crusaders themes or delve deeper into jazz funk traditions. But, as 'Reachin' kicks in you're reminded that contemporary production is never far behind the old school references.
'On The Street (Volcov 4-4-2 Remix)' toughens up the beats into a skipping two four arrangement, while 'Evolution' is a long drawn out subdued afro funk work out and 'I Belong' takes its inspiration from the more dance floor friendly early Seventies jazz funk era.
'When Will We Belong?' is undoubtedly artistically and technically interesting but it lacks the teeth to really bite.
