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On the back of two hugely successful albums and almost constant touring, Hackney Colliery Band's new album, Sharpener, shows the band in a more confident form than ever, with powerful new electronic elements and a dancefloor sensibility adding to the jazz, rock and soul for which they are known. Building on the strength of their critically-acclaimed original writing, Sharpener has a powerful set of originals at its core, alongside a trio of left-field covers in the shape of Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box", Kwabs's "Wrong or Right" and Three Trapped Tigers's "Cramm". It's a record that resounds with humor, charm and the hum of the glorious variety of musical genres that emanate from their hometown. Album opener "Jump Then Run" echoes the sound of the legendary Moondog, while "Gather Your Wits" is a roof-raising rumble of brass and rebellious behavior. "Wrong or Right", a soulful version of London soul star Kwabs's great tune, comes to life with juicy menace before "The Morning", an uplifting anthemic arrangement, builds into joyous hedonism. "When You Know" gives space to the band's superb jazz chops, while album title track "Sharpener" is a big, bold, brassy and utterly mesmerizing affair. It's perhaps the band's outstanding arrangements which sets them apart. From the intricacies of "Timelapse" to the introspection of "Reawake", from the punky rock groove of "It's Normally Bigger" (based on a true story) to the rave jazz of "Bread and Circuses", the arrangements throughout showcase writers Olly Blackman, Luke Christie and Steve Pretty's contrasting styles, able to switch from screaming energy to moody introspection, from cutting-edge jazz to dancefloor rave, and proving that Hackney Colliery Band is not just another party brass band blowing through the usual pop covers. Alongside main stage sets at festivals like Field Day and Love Supreme and collaborations with Amy Winehouse, Fyfe Dangerfield, Eliza Doolittle, Jamie Cullum, Andreya Triana, Williams Fairey Band, Rhodes and DJ Yoda, they have performed live sessions on BBC Radio 2 and Jazz FM, and their performances have been featured on BBC Two, Sky Arts and live at the BRIT, Mercury and Mobo Awards. The Times has said that Hackney Colliery Band are "redefining the brass band format for the 21st century."
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