Seven-piece London jazz outfit Kokoroko return to our ears with their triumphant sophomore album Tuff Times Never Last. It sounds just as its cover artwork looks – vibrant, joyous and dance-floor ready.
Kokoroko’s sound is built on connection. Forming when percussionist Onome Edgeworth and vocalist/trumpet player Shelia Maurice-Grey met on an arts trip in Kenya, they bonded over a desire to connect young people in the African diaspora through music. This sense of affinity rings true throughout the album.
Traversing neo-soul, funk and afrobeat, the 11-track project sees the band expand on their jazz roots, all while exploring themes of community, sensuality, and perseverance. It’s a celebration of life’s dualities. Of the album title, Edgeworth says “Although we’re reflecting on joy and celebration, you realise a lot of that beauty comes out of challenges and difficulties. Even in memory, the times that were tough tend to sweeten up”.
Tuff Times is a great winter pick-me-up for those of us not jetting off on a European summer. Opener “Never Lost” shimmers with a dreamy jazz-fusion that sounds tailor-made for Sunday afternoons spent with a spritz in hand, before triumphant horns take us into “Sweetie”, a breezy tune that’s become a fast favourite of mine. The refrain “sweetie make me heartbeat bounce” ebbs away over a neo-soul beat that you can’t help but bop along to.
The next few tracks take things down a notch, as the band floats between groovy lounge and a paired back gospel-inspired moment on “My Father in Heaven”. It’s here that Kokoroko’s versatility really starts to shine through. They pay homage to so many genres, while maintaining a cohesive sound between each track.
The band up the ante again with “Idea 5 (Call My Name) [feat. LULU.]”, where foot-tapping percussion and rhythmic drums burst into a horn section. The track pulses with energy, just like following “Three Piece Suit (feat. Azekel), an instant feel-good bop. It’s fun, uplifting, and made for the dancefloor.
On the back end of the album, Kokoroko shift gears again to channel RnB, shimmering disco, and Afrobeat. Lyrically, they reflect on the fleeting nature of time, in both the good and the bad. “Together We Are” is a standout. The beat builds alongside hopeful lyrics like “together we are bright as the stars” before crescendo-ing into a full-blown groove.
Closing out the album is “Over/Reprise”, a jam clocking in near the 7-minute mark. There’s a healthy dose of optimism here, with bright instrumentation serving as an upbeat send off.
It’s reflective, and, ultimately, a release – a fitting end to the sonic and spiritual journey we’ve been on, one that reaffirms Kokoroko as a band who refuse to be defined by one genre.
It’s hard to fault an album that’s so full of hope yet has such a deep awareness of the strength it takes to be hopeful in the first place. Tuff Times Never Last reminds us to hold tight: the dark is what makes the light shine. It’s a timeless message that speaks directly to the world right now – and I challenge you not to dance to it.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Kokoroko’s Tuff Times Never Last is out on Friday. Pre-order/pre-save the album HERE.
