CurvyIrish music isn’t known for its abundance of soul and funk, so when Kildare band Fox.E & The Good Hands announced the release of their debut album ‘Curvy’, a certain amount of intrigue naturally followed. With eleven tracks of soul and funk music, we were sure to fit in a listen to this album.

Opening track Good Hands is a good indicator for the album – big,  bold and unapologetic. Leading lady Eimear Fox heads the group with her deep, soulful sound, joined at various points by backing singers and a rapper, as heard in this particular tune alone. I Like It Curvy is another attitude-filled track. Fox’s sultry voice, combined with a choppy and rhythmic guitar line, makes for a song dripping with sex appeal. Another rap interval appears in this track, and is certainly less effective than in the opening track. With slightly cringy lyrics as well as many borrowed from other will known artists, for example “What you gonna do with all that junk inside your trunk?“, the rap section does little other than interrupt the flow of a previously successful song.

Forbidden Fruit is a slightly understated track, but maintaining the same strong rhythm and flow. With big harmonies, and a great feel of cabaret and drama, this track is an absolute success. Soulafunkalicious does well in regards of maintaining the same catchy rhythms and flow, but is let down by all lyricists in this case. The rap section quickly becomes tiresome with the same cheesy lyrics, with some weak chorus sections interjecting from time to time. The lyrics seem to suggest that the lyrical capabilities of the rapper will be getting him an awful lot of action – A doubtful assumption as far as this track suggests.

Moving into Get Up, the standard of music is restored with a rip-roaring and soulful track brimming with funk, and a far more tolerable rap section. Please Me is sultry and sexy, showing off once again Fox’s massive vocal capabilities alongside the continuously solid and funky band. Closing on Sundays Whore, the band slows down to finish up the album. Fox’s voice here is raw, and undraped in extra trimmings – and it works. This track is emotional, real and gritty,and makes me wish there was more of this sound in the preceding ten tracks. This is by far the high point of the album, and highlights the artistic capabilities of this band outside of their general soul and funk sound.

This is a solid release, with an awful lot to like. As with any release from a  band still growing and developing, there are weak points and there are strong points, and there’s a lot of scope to move onto bigger and better things – and I’ve got no doubt that it’s on the cards for Fox.E and the Good Hands. For all fans of soul, funk and attitude, this release is most definitely worth a listen.