Bad Company – Shot Down on Safari 2CD

Bad Company have been releasing a slew of fantastically dark, thumping and frankly unstoppable 12"s recently and are definitely one of the ‘form’ jungle acts of the moment. Following on from their great EP epic – "the Book of the Bad" - we now have a new album to delight in (with the usual mix cd as well).

The opening track is the uncharacteristically vocal Mo’Fire, with Navigator and $pyder providing some sweet toasting over rolling, ruthless beats. Dancefloor fave 'Hornet' gets into the groove, building up over drum breakdowns and stabbing synths, it then breaks down in true BC style. Pounding drums follow, with an irresistible little rhythm weaving throughout. The pacey 'Dogsploitation' is a fusion of Mampi Swift’s 'Blaxtaploitation' and BC’s own 'Dogs on the Moon', while 'Wednesday' has echoes of the J Majik or Peshay sound with the irrepressible BC touch. 'Dosage' has great synths and a mounting, almost irresistible pulse to it. Midway through, the distinctive opening chords herald the arrival of the explosive 'Torpedo' on the scene, bringing with it darkly rolling drum beats and a melody that rises and rises as the beats bang on. Sound. The funkier 'Dr Schevago' and great 'Jellybean' show the boys haven’t missed out on the more Latino dnb sound either. Barring the massive singles, 'Hornet' and 'Torpedo', my fave has to be 'Snowcat' - a real flexer of a tune, with the album closer 'Jellybean' right up there too.

With production of the highest order and unafraid to showcase new flavours to their sound, "Shot Down on Safari" is something of a triumph for BC. A really diverse album, with lots of playable cuts, it makes for a great showcase of the distinctive BC sound and promises many good things to come.