Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, Butcher Brown have become known for their wildly imaginative genre fusions, blending a wide range of influences into their forward-thinking crossover jazz. On »Letters from the Atlantic«, their third full-length, they don’t disappoint, serving up their most adventurous set of genre mash-ups to date. Few bands could effectively fuse everything from jazz and hip-hop to house, bossa nova, soul, funk and more – but Butcher Brown do it. Not only that, but they make the whole set coherent, uplifting and highly engaging.
Lead single »Ibiza« evokes the white island with its house influenced grooves, conjuring up images of the sun setting over crystal clear waters and sandy beaches. The sax lines at the end of the track remind you that you’re listening to a collective with roots in jazz. Elsewhere, »Backline« combines fluid guitar with a laid-back hip-hop break and »Dinorah Dinorah« brings the album’s heaviest dose of funk. Throughout the record, a host of vocal guests bring sass, soul and style to the mix, adding to the already diverse range of sounds. A particular highlight on this front is »Change in Weather«, which features the smoky lead vocals of Mia Gladstone. Letters from the Atlantic” is Butcher Brown’s most ambitious, wide-ranging and impressive record to date.
