Kokoroko - Could We Be More

You had to be a little patient to be a fan of the London jazz octet Kokoroko. Not because their music is uneventful or not very pointed, the opposite is the case. But because the hype around the band has been building up for a few years now to such an extent that the release of their debut album "Could We Be More" seemed to drag on endlessly. Kokoroko can't help that, though, as the songs were recorded in the summer of 2020, but it's been a special few years since then.

But now "Could We Be More" is available and it was truly worth the wait. The modern jazz of the combo around singer and trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey picks up the atmospheric influences from West African and Caribbean music that the members of Kokoroko grew up with and combines them seemingly effortlessly with modern jazz sounds and a good pinch of funk.

Always carried by absolutely positive vibes, the eight oscillate between playful catchy songs like "We Give Thanks" and rather restrained relaxed numbers like "Age Of Ascent", or "Something's Going On".

The fact that "Could We Be More" is a debut can't be heard in the 15 songs at any second. On the contrary, Kokoroko already move impressively confidently in their own style.