From their first incarnation as a swinging, heavily South-African inflected jazz ensemble, trumpeter Robin Hopcraft and saxophonist Idris Rahman have steadily moved towards a formidable live dub outfit that recalls such pioneers as Dennis Bovell and Misty In Roots at the peak of their powers. Supported by an able rhythm section, the horn players/co-leaders focus more on songwriting and arrangements than solos and they have fashioned a group voice that is winningly ‘Diasporic’. The swerves into funk, folk-like soul and Afrobeat are all convincingly handled but the real triumph of the Soothsayers sound is the melodic quality as well as the richness of the vocals that are crafted by Hopcraft, Rahman and Julia Biel. Furthermore, Nick Manasseh, Yesking and Prince Fatty's engineering and mix, the quintessential element of the dub aesthetic, have the kind of roundness and punch that defines classic Jamaican music. As with many of their role models, Soothsayers know how to invest an all too familiar song with a new energy and the anthem that is ‘Streets Of London’ is given a beautifully easy skankin' slide, complete with gospelised harmonies. It has a warmth and tenderness that reinforces the CD's sub-text.