Ten years in the making, Liam Farrell aka Doctor L presents “The Great Depression”, an amalgamation of African rhythms, North American funk grooves and jazzy vibes shaken and stirred to perfection. Doctor L has arranged these ingredients with a little help from his esteemed musical friends like the legendary drummer Tony Allen, Antibalas and others and the results are superb. This is apparent immediately with the spirited opener “Mystery Travels”, which features contributions from The Nairobi Descendants. With an infectious groove, hypnotic percussion and Laurent Fickleson on keys, you quickly realize that you’re in for a musical treat and a sudden urge to turn the volume up. The Descendants appear again with Tony Allen on the equally infectious afro-Cuban “By Surprise”. “Vocal Kidnapping” is another enjoyable track that features poignant spoken word from Unknown Poets. Overall “The Great Depression” pulls off the difficult feat of enlightening the listener of the socio-political climate while enriching their soul and shaking their hips with ease. Farrell’s compositions will find a definite place in your musical playlist and is worthy of repeated listens.
