Rob Smoughton (Hot Chip, Scritti Politti and Grovesnor) releases the first LP from his new project Black Peaches. The album, titled Get Down You Dirty Rascals, is a psychotropic stew of country boogie, spiritual jazz and funk...

There's the spirit of the band Chicago alive and well in parts of the opening track 'Double Time'. '70s rock, country, jazz and funk seem to make up the backbone of this album.

In a bid to create his sound, Rob Smoughton recorded rough demos to musicians he hoped would join him on his musical quest. Those that brought much to this album include Nick Roberts, Grosvenor's live drummer, and Charlie Michael (The Severed Limb, Shock Defeat), a master of Brazilian percussion. Smoughton had played with bassist Susumu Mukai in (Hot Chip frontman) Alexis Taylor's live band. Duelling guitarist Adam Chetwood, is a fellow country and jazz fan and plays pedal steel too. Thomas Greene (Cold Specks) on keyboards completes a consummate line-up that added ideas to Smoughton's demos, which he took away and wrote more parts for.

Inspirations for the songs came from '70s acts like Nashville combo Barefoot Jerry and their guitarist Mac Gaden - who mastered a combination of southern soul and country coming together, with Caribbean or South American music seeped in. Steven Stills' first post-Crosby Stills Nash & Young ensemble Manassas were a blueprint in terms of Black Peaches' line-up, with percussion and pedal steel. Then from Brazil, the rhythm section of Baden Powell Sambas'1966 album Os Afro Sambas and the double guitar attack of the psych-tinged Novos Baianos, alongside Chicago's funky post-rockers 5Style and Krautrock legends Can.

While it won't be to everyone's taste (although who could fail to enjoy the smooth sounds of 'Hanging Moon'), fans of '70s music will cherish this album which contains 9 songs (47 min, 03 sec).

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Nick Smithson