Review: Julio Bashmore- Knockin' Boots

Julio Bashmore is a house producer/DJ from Bristol, England, however he now resides in South London. Bashmore, real name Mathew Walker, started mixing tracks when he was 14 before establishing himself as a DJ.

He released his first EP in 2009 on the Dirty Bird label. He then went on to create his own label, Broardwalk Records. On this label he has released a string of successful tracks, most notable 2012's Au Seve.

The title track of the album, 'Knockin' Boots' is a fairly standard opening track, with it's repetitive sample and fairly generic house beat. It then transitions into 'Holding On' which is the main single of the album, This track has a really groovy beat and vocals (Sam Dew) that work well together to draw you in, it then doesn't let you go until the end. I like the way that it breaks down and has a prolonged outro that carries on the chilled vibe.

'She Ain't' has a sound that's very reminiscent of Duck Sauce, and I can't decide whether this is a good or bad thing. It does kind of stray away from his house sound, but the execution is good. The album then rolls through 'Let Me Be Your Weakness' and 'Rhythm of Auld'. both have decent, catchy vocals and well thought out production.  

'For Your Love' is one of my favorite tracks on the album. I really live the contrast between the deep, soulful lyrics of Seven Davis Jr and higher pitched backing vocals and beat. I also like the way that it drops off in certain places then builds back up again from a fairly simple beat. 'Bark' has a really dirty rhythm to it that you can't help but nod along to, this is where Bashmore really shows that he's not making an album of nice, generic pop tracks, instead he's showing off his wide production ability. This is also shown on 'Umuntu' which makes the most of the seamless flow of Okmalumkoolkat's lyrics.

I feel that 'Simple Love' is a pretty weak track that doesn't seem to fit with the others. It feels much less well thought through, with quite a tinny beat. I feel that 'Kong' and 'You And Me' pull off what the previous track tries to do in being more relaxed and slower, thus unwinding for the closing section of the album. This album is a solid debut from Julio Bashmore, I like his choice of vocalists and think he has fused the tracks together in a way that takes you on a journey. There are just a few tracks on the album that let it down, and feel like they are there just as fillers.

Highs: 
Holding On
For Your Love

Lows:
Knockin' Boots
Simple Love

Rating: 7.8/10