It's been 6 years since 4hero's last album and if you've followed their career for years you're going to say to yourself "damn, time treated them well". If you're just discovering them now you're likely to seek out their past work on the spot. The kind of music these pioneers of jungle and drum n bass produce on the long player "Play With The Changes" is sultry, funky, bubbling, modern soul informed deeply by broken beat, that shares the same addictive quality as Mark de Clive-Lowe's "Tide's Arising".

1. Morning Child
2. Take My Time (feat. Jack Davey)
3. Look Inside (feat. FACE)
4. Sink Or Swim (No Choice For Me)
5. Give In (feat. Darien Brockington)
6. Play With The Changes
7. Something In The Way (feat. Bembe)
8. Stoke Up The Fire
9. Sophia
10. Superwoman
11. Awakening (feat. Ursula Rucker)
12. Why Don't You Talk
13. Bed Of Roses (feat. Jody Watley)
14. Dedication To The Horse

Something 4hero explores to a much deeper level than Mark de Clive-Lowe's mentioned album is 70s era r&b and soul. I mean, each artist gets all up in it, but 4hero's take is less future soul and more classic. It's a sound marked by epic strings, funky bass lines, and richly melodic vocals. From the sweetly panoramic beats of "Morning Child" featuring the voice of previous 4hero collaborator Carina Andersson, the mood drops into a sultry bass groove called "Take My Time", sung in a perfectly seductive tone by miss Jack Davey.

There are a number of impressive and previous collaborations to be found here, from Grammy award-winning soul singer Jody Watley ("Bed Of Roses"), Ursula Rucker ("The Awakening"), FACE, Darien Brockington and Phonte of Little Brother ("Give In"), Bembe Segue & Kaidi Taitham ("Something In The Way"), Terry Devos ("Superwoman"), and Lady Alma ("Sink Or Swim"). The duo also work with Larry Mizell and Talita Long amongst many other fresh talents on the title track "Play With The Changes", which is also the track that just blows me away on this one. 4hero definitely play with changes on this one and it's just an amazing transient groove with some incredible vocal contributions.

Play With The Changes is a great album that rides the line between modern and broken soul but always gives respect to the classic sounds. Although it's been six years since 4hero's last full-length, the duo certainly don't miss a groove here.

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