On The Ropes - Mint Royale

The music that will emanate from the speakers of your stereo once you start to play this CD will fill your ears with an eclectic sound so often missing on other records. This is the kind of music you can sit back and relax too. Easy listening but with a dance/pop vibe running through it. From the start we hear a vibrant array of sounds with various themes running through the album. "From Rushmore With Love" features a subtle Indian theme, while Ex-Kenicke member Lauren Laverne's vocals add a subtle flavour to "Don't Falter". The single "Shake Me" offers another feather in their cap. That’s not to say the ...  Read the complete review

Never mind what the weather outside is like, this album will bring you all the sunshine you need. It just sounds like the band had a great time putting it together, and you'll find yourself grinning stupidly whenever you listen to it - it's *that* infectious. On The Ropes opens with the quite simply joyous funky-Indian-restaurant-sounding From Rusholme With Love, the aural equivalent of a ride on an old, wooden rollercoaster. It's solid, and doesn't go at breakneck speed, but it feels more likely that you might pitch off the edge and into free-fall than it does on the shiny, precision-engineered 20-second thrill rides. Importantly, you have more ...  Read the complete review