The Flying Hats The Blender / Hot Cakes

• 1. The Blender
• 2. Hot Cakes

Leeds groove detail The Flying Hats combine reggae and wah-funk on 'The Blender/Hot Cakes'; it's early days for the band, but a firm link still to last year's debut LP, as earhooking as a Chinese finger trap. Out through ATA Records - cue stamp of approval, "a disused garage on the outskirts of town" - they bring hard, high-Q filters and a gunky sound, where lo-fi is proof: the best players can play through even the toughest of handicaps. 'The Blender' toys with Studio One-style syncopation before snapping back into funk, more than justifying the label's exuberance about Bob Birch, Neil Innes and company: "is this the funkiest early reggae track ever?" Don't get lost: it's new.