Ezra Collective – Where I’m Meant To Be [Orange 2LP]

“Where Im Meant To Be is a thumping celebration of life, and an affirming elevation in Ezra Collectives winding hybrid sound and refined collective character. The songs marry cool confidence with bright energy. Full of call-and-response conversations between their ensemble parts, Where I’m Meant To Be is a natural product of years improvising together on-stage. The album — which also features guest artists Sampa The Great, Kojey Radical, Emile Sande and Nao — will light up sweaty dance floors and soundtrack summer dinners in equal measure.

The group — consisting of Femi Koleoso (who also drums for Gorillaz) as drummer and bandleader, Joe Armon-Jones on keys, James Mollison on saxophone, Ife Ogunjobi on trumpet, and Koleosos younger brother TJ on bass guitar — originally came together in 2012 as teenagers at the youth band of Tomorrows Warriors, a music education initiative at the South Bank Centre in London. They have since shot forward to b