CHECK OUT FRESNO

• 3rd Jan 2007

Veterans of some of the more stylish bars around Manchester may have already heard Fresno’s brand of sultry, jazz-tinged funk, as for the past couple of years has found the five-piece crafting and styling a collection of songs to awaken drowsy dance shoes.

With a fusion of velvety, high-end-bothering vocals over a loose, funk-lite musical backdrop it’s hard not to conjure memories of early Jamiroquai, before singer Jay Kay developed a fondness for punching photographers and driving too fast. ‘Lonely People’ is a laid back opener, built on soulful guitar licks, understated bass grooves, confident percussive interplay and some steady ivory tinkling, all propping a gorgeous, hook laden vocal to melt even the most cynical of hearts.
Elsewhere, ‘Carry Me’ opens in an affecting and intimate fashion, recalling some of the classic soulstresses of the last forty years, before a defiant funky guitar rhythm raises the tempo and changes the mood.

With tight musicianship and a set of songs that seep into your subconscious upon first listen, Fresno’s sound will magnetize listeners to the dance floor and inspire a thousand hairbrush divas.