It's been a few years but Thunderball have stepped back on the scene in style with their new album 12 Mile High. I think they've spent these past years living in clandestine seclusion throughout India and Harlem, pulling the strings of covert operations and completing impossible missions, while practicing the art-fu of being musicians, because there is such a matured swagger to the tunes on this album, you certainly can't say they've been out of action. Of course, anyone who knows about the forces behind Thunderball knows, they have been anything but sitting around.

1. Enter the Brahmin
2. 12 Mile High
3. Make Your Move (feat. Mustafa Akbar)
4. Dub Science (feat. Zeebo)
5. Low Down Weather
6. I C Colors (feat. Mustafa Akbar)
7. Flippin' It On
8. Rico Ritmo (feat. Miss Johnna M)
9. Rio Mescalito
10. Moon on the Rise (feat. Rootz)
11. Runaway (feat. Miss Johnna M)
12. To Catch a Vixen
13. Penthouse Soul

Thunderball's last album Cinescope was released in 2006 on ESL Music, and even though some four years has passed, the orchestration of styles and influences on 12 Mile High aren't much different than on Cinescope. Things open up with a funky, sitar-led, Indian influenced jam and make way soon after for the influences of 60s and 70s soul, funk, and jazz, as well as drum n bass, dub and reggae that have always been a prevalent force in the music of not only Thunderball, but various other projects the band members have been involved with like Fort Knox Five. It's a mixture of musical cultures that they work with very well. I'd say better than anyone else in fact.

When it comes down to Thunderball, the band consciously work in a more relaxed style. As Fort Knox Five explore beat heavy, funky breaks sounds, Thunderball dig into a smooth, sultry tone. The number of vocalists involved in this album are slightly fewer than in their last effort, making primary use of the incredible Rootz and Zeebo, of both Thievery Corporation and See-I singing fame. Songs like "Dub Science" and "Moon On the Rise" are perfect for the style and range of their singing. "Runaway" reaches out to some of the bands other side-projects, incorporating sweet vocals from Ms. Johnna M., and on the vocal soul side of things, I don't think you can ever go wrong by incorporating Mustafa Akbar's style. Just check out "I C Colors" and you'll hear what I'm talking about. There are plenty of great instrumental tracks on here as well, one of which is my favorite, though not 100% instrumental, titled "Flippin It On".

12 Mile High is dead on the whole way through, and varied enough that there's no way your ears are going to tune out. When your band name is based on a 1965 James Bond film, you need to have serious mysterious swagger, with equal mastery of hand-to-hand combat and seduction, and that's never been a problem for these guys. This is solid Thunderball.

http://soundcloud.com/thunderballdc/sets/12-mile-high

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