My last encounter with The Moods was back in 2017, on the release of their debut album ‘Missing Peace’, which proved way better than the ‘electro hip-hop reggae’ tag would have suggested. Since then, they’ve seemingly gone stellar , with backing from Radio 1’s Annie Nightingale and ‘Strong’ becoming the unofficial anthem for the 2019 World Taekwondo Championships, being played to an audience of 10,000+ at Manchester Arena. How does this stuff even happen?
Not that they don’t deserve it: ‘Strong’ is a kicking tune and no mistake. Dare I say ‘anthemic’? Too late, I suppose, since I just did. It’s got swampy percussion and jittery beats that rise up into a thumping drum ‘n’ bass explosion that’s as retro as, but sraddles genre boundaries, and it’s powerful both in message and delivery.
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The remixes… well, as is always the case, it’s so much filler. They’re ok, as is the acoustic version, although that’s a classic B-side filler tactic, as is the live version, even if the fact it was recorded at the MEN arena in Manchester does capture a high-point in their career to date.
There’s no question that The Moods are teetering on the brink of massive: they just need the next wave of material to see them reach it.
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