Mods: scooter riding, pill popping, soul music obsessing teenagers from the 60s. At least, that’s the plan. Unfortunately since a Mr Austin Powers popped up, any trace of a 60s nightclub influence in music has been met with disdain and more than a little scorn. Fortunately, from its gorgeous cover art onwards, this album renounces any attempt pigeon-holing in order to create a sound that would be as at home on dancefloors in any decade.
Borrowing queues form greats such as James Brown and Brian Auger, Modus use a downright filthy Hammond on tracks such as ‘The Snake’, which recalls some of the great Julie Driscoll cuts of the late 60s. Obviously, no self-respecting Mod group can escape that golden decade, but Modus have a fresh, up front approach to their influences that marks them out from those on the retro scene.
‘Soul Time’ tells it like it is – no matter the year, there’s always time for nitty gritty soul music, especially when performed with as much style and panache as this. Never outstaying its welcome, Sounds From The Kitten Casino is a fresh, witty take on a musical template many regarded as obsolete.
