Mister Barrington have been a cult muso favourite for the last decade – boasting a line up of seasoned pros with keys/vocalist Oli Rockberger an in-demand songwriter (he contributed tunes to Gregory Porter's Grammy nominated All Rise), while Owen Biddle has held the bass chair for hip hop heroes The Roots and Zach Danziger is a drummer's drummer for a multitude of heavy hitters including Donny McCaslin, as well as working on scores for blockbusters such as Ocean's Eleven and Iron Man. Regenerate is their fourth outing, their first since 2015's Can't Turn Back, and birthed out of lockdown, continues to expand their universe of spacey synth jazz harmonies, heavy-as-hell bass and Danziger's blizzard of complex beats. The initial impression is one of instant accessibility, but beneath the production sheen the bass and drums battle over where the downbeat should land, Rockberger's voice swoons from choirboy highs to wounded soulful lows while his keyboards get increasingly skittish, distorted and fractured as the grooves intensify.

According to Rockberger, the theme of regeneration emerged as the recording evolved and with song titles such as ‘Had It All’, ‘Falls Apart’, ‘The Other Side’ and ‘No Way Out’ the album soundtracks the moments of angst and introspection experienced in these days of Covid-19. Yet the furious grooves inspire the urge to move, shake off the lockdown blues and reconnect with body and soul.