I kid you not, from the moment the needle drops on the M.S.O’s sophomore record, you’re up and running. Frontman Nicky Bomba is a seasoned hand at crafting a catchy tune, and his encyclopaedic enthusiasm is infectious. To hear him discuss the raucous ramblings of the band is enough to convince you to throw away your daily life, grab a horn and join the adventure.
Indeed, adventure is the substance of Sierra Kilo Alpha. If their self-titled debut was an introduction to the band, this is a showcase of what came next. From opening track Escher – the scope of which really is akin to the Dutch artist – we find a band brimming with movement and energy that was only hinted at before. I suspect this is largely due to just how far the band has grown in the intervening years. Tracks like the treacherously-titled single Funkchunk and the celebratory Satellite are some of the most polychromatic tunes around, while Sly Boots is so suited to the next James Bond soundtrack it would be a crime to miss the opportunity (it doesn’t hurt that secret agents are so entwined in the band’s character).
Sierra Kilo Alpha is the sound of a band damned close to its peak. The pressure’s on for album #3.
BY ADAM NORRIS
