Pickin' up the pieces
Dangerbird***

Right time, right place, right band. Vintage soul is having an extended moment in the spotlight at present, and sharp-suited LA throwbacks Fitz The Tantrums join Mayer Hawthorne, Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley and friends in mining gold from dusty grooves. With hyperactive bandleader Michael Fitzpatrick and charismatic soul sister Noelle Scaggs fronting a hot- to-trot band, F&TTs are a lean, mean live machine.

They also cut a dash on this album (which was recorded in Fitzpatrick's front room) with a punky, high-velocity, fresh take on 1960s soul and pop. All the component parts work really well and the songs are robust enough to take the collective heat without turning into pastiches. Breakin' the Chains of Loveand MoneyGrabberare the winners here, and indicate that F&TTs may well be in line for a long shelf-life. See fitzandthetantrums.com

Download tracks: Breakin' the Chains of Love, MoneyGrabber