WATUSSI – 1000% HANDSOME

Sydney eight piece Watussi successfully converted their party atmosphere live performances into an easy-to-take-home package. The rhythm is infectious. It’s inevitable that numerous car seat covers will be worn out chairdancing in traffic to this Latin American flavoured EP. If you try hard enough you can feel the humidity and smell the liquor and smoke at the party. Blending roots, funk and a sprinkling of hip-hop, a less capable outfit could easily produce a dog’s breakfast. 1000 % Handsome is anything but. Shifting the focus of genres only slightly and cleverly linking the diversity with interlude tracks the EP has great continuity. It’s no surprise with famed American producer Joel Hamilton on the job, who can list artists like Elvis Costello and Justin Timberlake on his CV along with scores of other world class acts. Not the only American involved on this project, New Orleans’ MC Curren$y does a cameo on Tu Te Vas. Maybe if The Red Hot Chili Peppers added conga drums and sung in Spanish this is what their mid 80s’ Freaky Styley may have sounded like. With this release Watussi are potentially standing on the precipice of something massive.

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