(Arista)
Bands out of Africa are a rarity on the pop charts, but South Africa's Qkumba Zoo is breaking the rules with their debut album, Wake Up And Dream.
The standout track far and away is "The Child (Inside)". Combining South African chants, a driving synth-pop keyboard line, and irrepressible dance beat, this song would be an international smash in a perfect world. As it is, synth-pop has fallen out of favor in some circles, and the band has not received the credit they deserve for this absolutely brilliant song.
The remainder of Wake Up And Dream doesn't reach the lofty heights attained in "The Child (Inside)", but it also doesn't go down the same path. "Cloud Eyes (I'm Scared, You're Scared)" slows down the pace a few notches while having a tender quality about it, and other tracks such as "Mermaids", "Into The Night" and "Flesh and Blood" hook those keyboards with the beautiful vocals of lead singer and lyricist Levannah.
The group's appearance definitely stands out; Levannah has a shaved head with a pointed patch of hair in the middle of her head, which is adorned with glittering stars, half moons and rotating eyeballs; keyboardist Owl is bald, with a straggling goatee hanging from his chin and dancer/sculptor Tziki (not unlike Bez, formerly with the Happy Mondays and Black Grape) has a fully tattooed and pierced body. But although the appearance of the band might be a bit distracting, the ability of Qkumba Zoo to link world music, especially the influences of their native South Africa, with synthpop should not be taken lightly.
If Blondie had been raised in a world consisting of keyboards, Qkumba Zoo's Wake Up And Dream might well have been the result.
