Back once again it’s The Haggis Horns and they come out of the gate swinging with a single from their forthcoming record (their fifth) Stand Up For Love, “Haggis Express”. The Horns have been around since 1999, and have been blazing the UK’s funk and soul scene since them with their special brand of music and have played and recorded with everyone from Mark Ronson, Corinne Bailey Rae, Lou Donaldson, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Martha Reeves, Jamiroquai, John Legend & The Roots, The Cinematic Orchestra, Morcheeba, Roots Manuva, Finley Quaye, Nightmares On Wax, and more. It’s good to have the band back and it feels like they are giving us their early, rootsy sounds that include plenty of funk, as well as the most vocals they have included on a record since their inception (singer John McCallum is featured on seven of the nine tracks). Taking a cue from early to mid-’70’s sounds like Kool & The Gang, Fred Wesley & The JB’s, The Blackbyrds, The Fatback Band, The Meters and Sly & The Family Stone, “Haggis Express” is a powerhouse of funk. Heavy on the horns, backbeat, guitar and bass, this track could be mistaken for a long, lost outtake from the period. It is rifled with energy and dancefloor gusto, breaking out of the station like a train with a full head of steam and showing no signs of stopping until the destination is reached. Multiple break downs, and the achievement of “that sound” is exactly what you get right here. That sound is, of course, The Haggis Horns playing in 2020 but really sounding like they were topping the charts in the 1970s. They’ve nailed it. This one is a swinger for sure. Listen to the track below streaming, and pre-order the full length out on May 22nd via their own label Haggis Records.
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