THE PENDLETONS Schallplatten & CDs

Review: The Pendletons are keeping the sweet sound of West Coast boogie alive and well. Following their burning hot album drop "2 Steps Away" last year, they're back on Bastard Jazz with a crucial new single that further expands on their insanely funky sound. "Don't Turn Your Back" is a catchy anthem with Rojai on guest duties and so much slick instrumentation you'll find yourself poppin' from the moment the needle drops. On the flip, album track "You Do You" gets the remix treatment from Potatohead People, keeping the Pendletons' funk ethic front and centre but whipping up a sturdier rhythm section for the Howard Johnson-voiced track.

Review: Following a string of sizzling singles released over the best part of a decade, The Pendletons (AKA E Da Boss of Myron & E fame and Bay Area producer Trailer Limon) has finally got round to recording a debut album. It's something of a slick, soulful and groovy affair, offering a mix of breezy West Coast grooves, sun-kissed instrumentation, snaking horn solos, colourful synthesizer lines and oodles of soul-powered vocals from the group and guests including Howard Johnson, K-Maxx and Gizelle Smith. While it's something of a time capsule, stylistically at least, few do this kind of warm, glassy-eyed nostalgia better. Put it this way: it's every bit as good as we'd hoped for and much more besides.

Review: Trailer Limon and E Da Boss (he of Myron & E fame) have been recording as The Pendletons for the best part of a decade, serving up occasional slices of revivalist electrofunk and turn-of-the-'80s soul. They're at it again here, popping up on Bastard Jazz with a double dose of goodness made with the assistance of some of the Bay Area's finest musicians. The headline attraction is undoubtedly the Howard Johnson hook-up "You Do You", a rich and evocative chunk of mid-tempo disco-soul blessed with mix-friendly drum breaks, seductive instrumentation (think glistening funk guitars, toasty bass, punchy horns and fluid pianos) and a slick, smooth lead vocal. "Life To Me", a more sugary affair built around distinctive slap bass, sustained chords, relaxed drums and subtle synth flourishes, is similarly impressive.

Review: E Da Boss and Trailer Limon, two of the US' most hyped boogie maestros, are back with a new EP for Brooklyn's Bastard Jazz Recordings, under The Pendletons moniker, and we have to say that it sounds like some pretty dope material from the get-go! The lead track "Funk Forever" is a downpour of funky pop vibes guided and charged by jazzy nuances, and the following "Don't Be Late" is a certified tune for the lovers. On the B-side, "Telling Lies" slows the tempo to a majestic r&b swing, filtered through fat boogie bass, while "Set Sail" features the vocals of Ishtar in what is a proper boogie slammer, and "In The Mood" is all about the slow, sensual sound of endless, blissful synths. Gorgeous.