Fragments
Exceptional Records

Fragments is the hotly anticipated second album from Leeds/London-based septet Submotion Orchestra and it doesn’t disappoint. An enticing blend of R&B and electronica, it’s the kind of music that would lend an ideal accompaniment to in-depth conversation at a bar only frequented by the cool crowd.

A result of this is that it wouldn’t sit easily in certain contexts – it is difficult to imagine it in your car stereo, for instance – but it is close to perfect for the setting in which it belongs. With a fantastic beat, most notably on Thinking and It’s Not Me It’s You, and a true soul vocalist in the shape of Ruby Wood, it is a work of shades and colours that you will want to return to at appropriate intervals.

Punctuated by a number of showy instrumentals, Fragments also affords the group some great opportunities to display their considerable technical mastery. Listen, especially, to Thousand Yard Stare, a track given an irresistible dirty jazz vibe by an overlay of brassy synth effects. A credible and credibility-boosting album.

For further information visit www.submotion.co.uk.

Grace Henderson