Consisting of Martin Brew (Ex Strange Brew) and Martin Desai, J Walk sprout from the refreshing Manchester roots that bore artists such as Riton, Grand Central Recordings, Andy Votel, Mr Scruff and Only Child.
Together they produce music that bursts simultaneously with the excitement of naivety and the textural contours of a deep musical pedigree.
The pre-release of a series of gratefully received J Walk seven inches in the run up to their debut album ensured that many of the tracks here already feature in chill out, deep house and funky bar room sets. 'Scarlet Menace' being a perfect example of the latter, while 'Soul Vibration' is already a chill-out classic.
But for the essence of J Walk head for 'Another Lover', featuring Pete Simpson on vocals, and 'Tearaway', the opening track here. Both are perfect examples of the J Walk's addictive formula.
Essentially it's chill out, but like a deep house production the emphasis is on grooves that work into you blood stream.
'Cariad' features a delicate vocal performance from Elbow's Guy Garvey, appealing as much to toe gazing indie types as 21st Century soul boys.
Although 'ANOTR' is for the most part a down tempo affair, the duo resist over-using dub templates, so tracks such as 'Petrified Blues' utilise the drum patterns and echoed rim shots, without taking on any of the other delays or other features of the genre.
Apart from this we're offered ambient abstract pieces alongside comparatively poppy numbers, such as the 'Heavens Above' featuring Sarah Hill's R & B vocal line.
But 'Following The Noughties' is where the album really settles into its own with a nodding funk tempo, pylon bass riffs and tubular bells melody.
'J Walk' are well worth crossing the road for.
by Ben Osborne