Ah, the return of an old friend in the form of Psycho Gab. I’ve reviewed these talented cherubs before, and I have to flag to you the absolutely coolest name in modern New Zealand music, courtesy of lead vocalist Rosetta Stone. I am thrilled that this is the lady’s real name. It goes with the music and vibe of this band too, by the way.

Rosetta delivers a breathy, almost lounge jazz vocal performance here. Slow, seductive and rich, it has what Joey the Lips in The Commitments would say was impossible – a seamless blend of soul and jazz. The beat is measured and low tempo; the mix and mastering (done at the Lab) by Ollie Harmer and Kelly Hibbert respectively (with Orlando and Caleb from the band assisting on the mixing), we’ve got some nicely subtle layers of percussion filling out the lower end.

Keys, guitars and bass (Caleb Wong, Max Henley and Finn McNeill) are nicely performed and toned. Orchestration is well thought-out and it feels like the studio work has involved going into the wee hours with several red-eye sessions to reach this level of perfection in the balance of what is clearly a number of layers of everything. This is dedication, and it’s paid off.

This band is carving out its own genre inside the NZ – and soon to be world – market. The song itself is close to five minutes of smooth soul/jazz with a pulsing low end piano over those easy, enduring rhythms. Follow the video for an idea of the message behind the lyrics, and follow your nose for what Rosetta is getting into your head with.

Speaking of the video, it’s a cool idea. The YouTube link is ready for view on the 30th January, when the song goes live across all platforms. As always, I won’t spoil the surprise for the vid, but I’ll go so far as to say director Gab Gillespie has given a lesson in turning something simple into a great, humorous and entertaining visual of the song. The camera shots, the script, the choreography, the wit – it all fits nicely with this track.

To summarise, if you like the sound of what I have described here, do your ears a favour on Friday 30th January and pop into Spotify and YouTube. Give the video a look and add the single to your airplay lists. This is a talented young band, making music that lends itself to many moods. This one I see myself listening to on rainy afternoons, waiting for it to pass so I can get my impossibly ugly dog out for a walk.

Enjoy!