Room Eleven - Mmmm...gumbo

1. Hey Hey Hey! 2. What Will It Be? 3. Lalala Love 4. Looking at My Feet 5. Swimmer 6. Ode 7. Lovely Morning 8. Seeds 9/ Not Jealous 10. Shyness 11. Always 12. Rainy Day in the Sun 13. A Little of Me

A summer soundtrack for garden parties and days spent punting down the river.
There's not a lot of music like this about these days. Well, there is and then there isn't - Royal Crown Revue come to mind. Many groups attempt to capture that brassy, stringed and jazzy, upbeat bossa nova sound, but only ever fall on their collective ideals. Why? It's hard to find the authenticity for the gimmick. Room Eleven are one group, however, who have clearly kept their heads above the murky waters of hubris, and produced an album of joyous wonder. Vocalist Janne Schra captures an intimacy and immediacy akin to Fiona Apple or PJ Harvey (the former would appreciate the album's big band feel, while the latter may not appreciate the comparison at all). Waxing and waning between show-tune epics and sotto voce asides, Schra applies her skills with aplomb. It's fitting, then, that the skill of her fellow musicians is quietly evident. A more enjoyable romp through the worlds of bossa nova and jazzy pop there never was.

Price: $15.98