J-Walk - A Night On The Rocks (East West)
Manchester duo Martin Brew and Martin Desai aspire to David Holmes’ moody cinematic soundscapes. But although this debut throbs with catchy breakbeats and chrome-cool electronica, the songs too often slump into hollow, exhausted loops. However, they’re not a band without promise: the ace Starsky & Hutch slab of urban groove, Scarlet Menace, and the delicate atmospherics of Cariad, with Manc mate Guy Garvey (Elbow) on vocals, prove J-Walk can make songs that writhe with funk and emotion. The warmth is in them, perhaps next time they’ll let more of it out. Alexia Loundras 24 October 02