Pieces Of A Man
Pieces Of A Man - POAM
Review: Mixtape Vol 1
Back in June, I completed a colossal five hour round trip to see Bilal perform at the fabulous venue Band on the Wall in Manchester. As well as being excited to see him perform, I was intrigued by the support band "Pieces Of A Man" and wondered how they would fare against such an internationally acclaimed artist. Let me tell you, my trip was worthwhile.
The five piece Neo-Soul collective did not disappoint and despite the enormity of their task -namely opening for a soul superstar, they delivered like seasoned professionals to an excited crowd.
This is a review of the bands mix-tape which is now available for download on Bandcamp
So, who are POAM?
- Keys / Music: Pils
- Vocals / Synth: Tolu
- Bass: Tim
- Beats: DK
- Guitar: Mark
The mix-tape consists of 6 tracks for your aural pleasure. It’s all about the bass, it's deep, soulful and funky. The kind of melodic sound that gets you right between the eyes. From the outset, you want to get involved – if this mix-tape does not move
you, you need a rhythm implant. The groove provided by the cohesive band is a perfect compliment as Tolu lays down the vocals seamlessly track after track with quiet confidence.
Calling all people
This opening track serves up a delicious offering of 4.08 minutes of decadent soul music. The laid back funk is reminiscent of the sound of the late Lynden- David hall. This is a compliment and by no means meant to imply an attempt to imitate. This is their sound and they own it, they wear it like a well fitted garment. The track lends itself to a chilled out vibe that gets you nodding your head in
acquiescence, in confirmation that as a listener “ yes I’m listening”. When Tolu drops the lyric “Can I move you to dance”, I fear that the proverbial horse has bolted and is dancing a merry jig. I, was already dancing.
Brother
The second track on the mix is positively uplifting and lyrics such as “I know that it can be better” serve to re-iterate the theme of the track. This is an ode to Optimism and affirmation, positive self talk and self belief.
“Brother get up, get yourself together” is the catchy hook that reverberates in your brain time and time again. This track tells of a voyage of self discovery and camaraderie.
Have faith in yourself, love yourself
People, rise up. We ain't got the time to be fighting amongst
ourselves."
Monster
With its raspy guitar lines and catchy chorus, you wonder whether this is referring to a relationship, work or something else. It speaks of an addiction that cannot be broken that is worse than cigarettes and alcohol.
"Why do you make a monster out of me?
I give you everything
still you are not satisfied
I feel like a prisoner...
I feel like a prisoner...
I never learn"
Pieces
It's like an exhalation, a reflection on a job well done.
The sound is deliciously dreamy, you close your eyes and you hear "
Interlude
This marks the end to the mix tape –there is a sense of fun with audible laughter.
This mix tape serves up a grown up sound and exudes confidence and style. These guys are not messing around and are professionals clearly passionate about spreading the soul love.
As if being the support act for Bilal was not enough, the band have another exciting gig next where they will be supporting Omar MBE on Saturday 12th October 2013. So, what’s next for this band? World domination? I may just ask them. It is hard to believe that twelve months ago this band had not played any major gigs! What a phenomenal achievement for this talented band. The future is bright for POAM.
Official POAM Website:http://piecesofaman.org/
Twitter: @piecessoulmusic
Bandcamp:piecesofaman.bandcamp.com/
nice review! Looking forward to catching POAM at Band on the Wall on the 12th!
ReplyDeleteThanks @Cleo Graf lovely to meet you at the gig :)
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