Reviewing The Melodic’s Effra Parade

The new album from English afro-folk-pop band the Melodic, available from November 5, is the follow=up to the On My Way EP, but the band’s debut full-length album. Besides the “Last Thing You Said” intro ditty, “On My Way” is actually the opening song on the record, and it’s still gorgeous. This band has the nifty gift of blending world music with traditional folk, and making it sound both intrinsically English (the band is from the Brixton area of London) and natural.
“Our bikes filled the hallway of this red and white 1920s terraced house and our instruments became part of the furniture,” the band says. “We ran wires under floorboards, constructed acoustic panels, and converted Rudi’s childhood bedroom into a modest studio, fully equipped with a fold-down bed for those late-night sessions. There, under the watchful eye of a Lee “Scratch” Perry painting, we delved into the art of recording and production.”
Fair enough. The guys did something right, because the production is immaculate. The songs sound delicate and intricate, and they’ve been allowed to float along at their own pace.