Time
Time makes a strong connection between skilled playing and songs that want you to dance. Louis Cole brings his precise drumming into bright funk-pop, with light singing and keyboard sounds that can be deliberately strange. The humour is obvious, but the arrangements show how carefully the music is made. There is more here than a collection of entertaining jokes.
Weird Part of The Night opens with a sharp electronic sound and an urgent rhythm. Cole makes the song busy without losing its central hook. When You're Ugly follows with a bouncing bass line and a direct answer to superficial expectations. Its appeal comes from the combination of a memorable tune and an attitude that refuses to take itself too seriously.
The slower music reveals another side. Everytime is soft and melodic, giving the voice a more exposed setting. After The Load is Blown has an intentionally silly title, yet the feeling inside the song is more convincing than the joke suggests. Cole can make an elegant, sad ballad without losing his personality.
Real Life brings the more active and reflective approaches together. Powerful drums push against a quick piano solo from Brad Mehldau, while a gentler chorus gives the performance something to return to. The guest contribution belongs within the song rather than arriving as a separate display of jazz credentials.
The balance is not always perfect. Some slower tracks feel more like pauses between the strongest funk pieces, and familiar influences occasionally become very clear. Nevertheless, Time stays distinctive through its combination of warmth, unusual choices and excellent rhythm. Cole's technical ability serves a set of songs with real melodic appeal. The funny surface makes them welcoming; the feeling underneath gives them a longer life.
