Bonobo – Always on Your Side (feat. Joy Crookes)
Bonobo (Simon Green) has a fourth single out from Distance in Static, and it’s the one with Joy Crookes. “Always on Your Side” follows Me and You (W24), Drift (W28) and “Fire on the Water” with Arooj Aftab, ahead of Simon Green’s eighth album, out September 11 on Ninja Tune.
What holds it together is how far back the arrangement sits. Horns and strings move around Crookes, and Bonobo has said his job here was mostly to follow what she’d already done. She pulls away from the neo-soul of Skin (2021) and last year’s Juniper into something more withheld, and the words are darker than the warmth of the production lets on. Green called it “probably my favorite song from the album”, which is a claim for a record that also contains “Drift”
Four singles released so far and I still can’t figure out what this album will sound like. Fine with that.
Live:
Distance in Static is out September 11 on Ninja Tune.
Europe:
- Aug. 4 / Ibiza, ES / Pikes Presents @ 528 (DJ set)
- Aug. 8 / Málaga, ES / Marenostrum Fuengirola (DJ set)
North America:
- Nov. 5 / Austin, TX / Emo’s
- Nov. 6 / Houston, TX / White Oak Music Hall
- Nov. 7 / Dallas, TX / The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
- Nov. 9 / Phoenix, AZ / The Van Buren
- Nov. 11 / Los Angeles, CA / The Wiltern
- Nov. 12 / Los Angeles, CA / The Wiltern
- Nov. 14 / Oakland, CA / Fox Theater
- Nov. 15 / Portland, OR / Roseland Theater
- Nov. 16 / Vancouver, BC / PNE Forum
- Nov. 17 / Seattle, WA / Showbox SoDo
- Nov. 19 / Denver, CO / Mission Ballroom
- Nov. 20 / Aspen, CO / Belly Up Aspen
- Nov. 24 / Minneapolis, MN / First Avenue
- Nov. 25 / Chicago, IL / Radius
- Nov. 26 / Toronto, ON / HISTORY
- Nov. 27 / Montreal, QC / MTELUS
- Nov. 28 / Boston, MA / Citizens House of Blues
- Nov. 30 / South Burlington, VT / Higher Ground Ballroom
- Dec. 1 / Portland, ME / State Theatre
- Dec. 3 / Silver Spring, MD / The Fillmore Silver Spring
- Dec. 4 / Philadelphia, PA / Union Transfer
- Dec. 5 / Brooklyn, NY / Brooklyn Paramount
