HinweiseSomewhere Else is Here is the second album from the downtempo maestros and demonstrates again their ability to create mood music of a higher class. For the uninitiated The Funky Lowlives have been producing and remixing for over seven years and hold the soaring accolade of being the only artists to have released material on Kruder and Dorfmeister's G-Stone label. The opener, 'Sail into the Sun' threatens to become anthemic but thankfully never peaks and its careless vocals inhabit the same space as the Beta Band and Ben and Jason on Kinobe's 'Slip into Something'. However, it is the instrumental tracks, 'Time to Let You Go', 'For Her Eyes' and 'Here is Somewhere Else' which stand out, with some nonchalant but accomplished guitar work and pleasantly laidback string arrangements which sweep without overwhelming. The Funky Lowlives attempt to set themselves apart from others in a genre in which one expects the highest production values through unusual additions which add spark: the banjo in 'For Her Eyes', the raw drums which drive the tracks along, and occasional hints of brass. However, it breaks no mould, and appears content to follow ruts cut out by an increasing load of downtempo groups who make music to wash over listeners without ever really grabbing their attention. This is music that makes me feel I should be sitting in an ultra-minimalist bar making witty remarks to an impossibly beautiful and angular lady sipping an impossibly neon cocktail, while an equally impossibly discreet barman polishes the stainless steel accoutrements of the professional cocktail shaker. If your collection leans towards downtempo, it should certainly include this album released on 4 April. —Wyl Menmuir Friday 4 February 2005
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