Whether they're wise to use the word 'New' in their name is a moot point, but TNM are without a doubt masters of their sound - which happens to be jazz soaked, basement funk.
Sounding like it's been recorded in a low ceiling, brick-walled club, 'Be Yourself' is a persuasive piece of early Seventies groovement.
Their sound captures the spirit of early Brand New Heavies in their pre-vocalist days and before they turned into pop soul saccharin. The advantage TNM have comes from Bob Birch's organ, which marries into the band in much the same way that Art Neville worked his grooves around Leo Nocentelli guitar work.
Indeed the comparison with The Meters doesn't stop there, with Simon Allen's drums, Peter Shand's bass and Eddie Roberts' guitar on 'This Ain't Work', the opening track, sounding like an out take from 'Look-Ka Py Py'.
Amazingly true to the original sound, even where they break from the formulae, as they do on the Asian guitar riffs on 'Be Yourself', they end sounding like the psychedelic soul of 'Resurrection'.
It's a powerful and wonderful sound, which becomes still richer when Corinne Bailey Rae adds her fantastically earthy voice.
That they're some thirty years late matters - but only for 10 seconds or less.
