Jhelisa – Galactica Rush

Very good album, for lovers of Des'ree or Zarra McFarlane/Lianne La Havas.

I'd bump it up to 5***** for the LP which includes a 10 inch with 4 dub versions. Not only is the original album superb (see Scoundrel's review below) and almost psychedelic in places such as the excellent title track, but the dub remixes sound like the best tracks from groove corporation which is high praise.

Jhelisa’s debut album, GALACTICA RUSH, wears its acid jazz credentials proudly on its sleeve -- and why not? For the genre, it’s certainly strong example to follow, blending beats with psychedelia and Jhelisa’s accomplished vocal work. The title track, for instance, swirls around with layers of squealing horns and a sudden exclamation, “12 little kitties in a cardboard box!” Acid, indeed. The humorous personal manifesto of “There’s Nothing Wrong” gives us Jhelisa at her most individualistically defiant, while “Hold My Peace” lends some political action to that defiance. With production from Cool Breeze, the album shows its lighter side on “Whirl Keeps Turning” or the cleverly tongue-in-cheek “Death of a Soul Diva.” And I don’t have to mention the now-classic “Friendly Pressure”; it speaks for itself. And the three lullaby-like tracks that close out the album show off Jhelisa’s more maternal side as well.