Movies don't get remade these days. They get re-imagined. In the same way, nobody releases straight "best of" compilations anymore and "Session 2" is a case in point. Instead of just re-releasing tracks from their highly impressive back catalogue, The Herbaliser have re-recorded a group of songs with The Herbaliser Band, their current live line-up.

1. Mr. Chombee Has the Flaw
2. Geddim!
3. AM Prelude
4. Another Mother
5. Blackwater Drive
6. MS Prelude
7. Moon Sequence
8. Amores Bongo
9. CC Prelude
10. Theme From Control Centre
11. Stranded On Earth

The good news is that The Herbaliser Band are amazing. Founding members Ollie Teeba and Jake Wherry have, since their early days as a powerhouse duo on Ninja Tune, been channeling everything from hip-hop and movie soundtracks to rare groove. As a musical outfit they have continued to evolve and last year delivered a truly superb LP in the shape of "Same As It Never Was", that took their music into new and more soulful territory.

But "Session 2" is something of a mixed bag, which is not to say it's a bad album, it just feels like a holding statement. Some of the recorded tracks, particularly "Amores Bongo", which was on last year's effort, sounds pretty much identical to their previous incarnations.

Others have been updated and given a makeover. "Blackwater Drive" dates back many years and while some fans will love the new version, others may still prefer the original version.
Some of the tunes might be more than 10 years old, but the new versions do sound fresh and the record works well as a whole. If you have never gotten into The Herbaliser before, then this is a good place to start, but some of us would prefer to hear a new album. How about it, guys?

~ Jamie Hailstone

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