In a time when big name acts of previous decades fill stadiums with their comeback tours, relentless nostalgia has become an industry of its own. The familiarities of the past providing a sort of cultural comfort blanket. There’s nothing inherently wrong with a bit of nostalgia, but mining an earlier era as an artistic source, can quickly put an artist in a particular bracket.
Singer-songwriter and all-round jazztronica sensation Anna Stubbs aka Kinzoogianna joyously avoids the pitfalls of retro-ism with The Clique of ’86, her second solo effort. On this fun and deeply gratifying set of tracks, she couples forward-looking contemporary jazz with a multitude of 80s styles and sonic inflections to deliver a musical experience that is tongue in cheek, but built on serious musicianship and songwriting chops. Alongside Stubbs’ captivating singing and keyboard work, she plays flute, percussion and programmes the beats, as well as producing.
On ‘Cherry Devoy’, Stubbs marries squelchy synth bass with a smooth electro aesthetic and jazz-inflected keyboard phrases – topping the lot with ear-grabbing vocal melodies. While ‘Queendom of Sound (I Love Music)’ is a finely crafted jazz-funk number that subtly tips its hat to early hip-hop.
Kinzoogianna has created a concept album of sorts that tells a series of tales of youthful misadventure based in mid-80s Essex. One of the most memorable examples is ‘Nancy Nice and Nasty’, a retro banger that mines the sonic territory of early house music. On this cut Stubbs shares the story of a search for an illegal rave. With the number of the party phoneline scribbled on a piece of paper in her hand, she states that she’s going to “floor it on the M25”. It’s a perfect homage to its inspirations, while being executed with a keen sense of the contemporary.
Stubbs’ impressive versatility as an instrumentalist, songwriting prowess and her sense of fun shine through across this tight set of tracks. Nostalgia can go very wrong when an artist seems to be cosplaying, wrapping themselves in the trappings of another time. Kinzoogianna however is so authentically herself, that this is never a risk. She playfully navigates her way through her love of 80s music and culture, while always having a foot firmly in the present. This triumphant album will have listeners coming back time and again.
