Review: Corduroi – Anything For Now

Nowadays sampling seems to have been used in practically every UK chart hit we hear today. It can be inspired but often it just seems a lazy way of gaining success. One of the real plus points of sampling was in hearing forgotten tracks in the most incongruous of settings. Corduroi – otherwise known as Cody Wilson – is neither a great visionary nor an imitator but he does know how to constuct electro-soul tracks, as ‘Anything For Now’ testifies.

‘Crustacean’ merges big beats with soundtrack-worthy easy listening melody and ‘Gentle Giants’ is similarly sumptuous, moving from languid guitars to the warmest of keyboards and adding mysterious vocal samples to create something totally dreamy. ‘Monk’s Muse’ takes a more awkward, tricksier approach but ‘All Ways’ cleverly distorts a female soul sample and turns it into a nocturnal delight. It’s just a shame that the last two tracks resemble slightly generic examples of the techno/soul hybrid.

Credit to Wilson though, he’s unearthed some unknown but inspired recordings and works them well in to his tuneful repertoire. It would be interesting to know if he can pass the test over the course of a full album.

Web Sites:
Mush Records Label and Shop Site

Further Listening:
King Of Woolworths, Avalanches