Cymande's early records developed an unusually fluid meeting point between funk, soul, reggae, jazz, calypso and African-derived rhythms. Albums such as Cymande, Second Time Round and Promised Heights eventually became an important source for later generations of DJs and hip-hop producers. Renascence reconnects with that vocabulary while presenting it through a considerably smoother modern production.
The band's identity still begins with the rhythm section. "Chasing an Empty Dream" brings clavinet, percussion, bass and horns together in a groove that hints at psychedelic soul, while "Swedeen" gives the bass and percussion enough space to recover some of the physical pull of the seventies records. "How We Roll" is hazier, adding bluesy guitar and a slight dub inflection around the groove.
Much of the album, however, prefers a more polished mid-tempo atmosphere. "Road to Zion" and the Celeste-assisted "Only One Way" lean toward balladry, while "Heart of the Willing," "I Wanna Know" and "Darkest Night" maintain an elegant restraint. The musicianship is never in doubt, but the abundance of smooth surfaces gradually reduces the contrast that once made Cymande's mixture of styles so unpredictable.
Ben Baptie's production is clear and warm, perhaps too much so. Early Cymande recordings often allowed bass, percussion and horns to rub against one another with visible friction; here those elements are beautifully separated and carefully controlled. The gain in detail sometimes comes at the expense of danger.
"Carry the Word" illustrates both sides of the record. Its Caribbean pulse and gradual crescendo promise a larger release, yet the track fades before fully delivering it. Renascence repeatedly approaches that point: the groove is present, the players remain exceptional, and the old rhythmic language survives intact, but the music often chooses poise at precisely the moment when a little disorder might have made it burn.
GENRE: Soul / Funk
RELEASE DATE: January 31, 2025
PRODUCED BY: Ben Baptie
LABEL: BMG
RATING: 7/10