7/10

Throughout the last few years, the buzz surrounding London-based eight-piece ensemble KOKOROKO has been brimming with expectation. After a run of highly-praised and glittering live performances, back up with a flurry of smooth and alluring singles, the group had cemented themselves as one of the more captivating names on the rise throughout the last twelve months. And after another batch of riveting offerings of late, they now return to deliver their eagerly-awaited debut album 'Could We Be More', a record that serves up a broad and inventive insight into their direction to date.

Landing themselves somewhere between jazz and afrobeat in terms of sonic appeal, asking 'Could We Be More' straight off the bat does make us ponder. While groups that focus themselves on largely instrumental releases do have a tendency to overdo their compositions and outstay their welcome, there is something rather captivating about the general tone of KOKOROKO on here. With its brilliantly cohesive and succinct direction from start to finish, the group serve up a wonderfully infectious groove that offers a more inviting and compelling aesthetic than most in their field.

While it never really feels like it gets into top gear at any point, 'Could We Be More' still maintains a wonderfully fresh and exciting sound that rarely finds itself in a dull moment. The band have a clear and concise vision for themselves throughout this release, and push the boundaries of those ideas as far as they will go.