A Jazz Fusion Jive Through Funk Infested Waters –

Mulholland Jive dragged us back into the water with Jurassic Shark, a jazz-fusion instrumental that bites down with schlock-horror wit, cult-cinema camp, and enough rhythmic libido to jolt the blood back into the limbs of the terminally jaded musos. Clearly one for sly pop culture nods and tongue-in-cheek wordplay, Mulholland Jive delivered a release that knows precisely how ridiculous its title is, then backs it up with musicianship sharp enough to leave teeth marks.

As you’d expect from a rock-licked, funk-charged jazz-fusion piece, there are a fair few more chords than in the Jaws theme. The arrangement swings with swanky vitality, a Viagra for the rhythmic pulses, as the synths blaze with a video-game gleam and the keyboards drive the track into a state of ornate frenzy. The oddity lies in how the keys manage to feel both feral and finely wrought, while the brusque tempo and feverish momentum keep you pinned to the edge of your seat. There are traces of Frank Zappa’s irreverence, Cory Wong’s funk attack, and Casiopea’s gleaming technical fire in the spectacle held together with an irreplicable sonic signature

The project is the brainchild of Irish multi-instrumentalist and Cambridge-based composer Ben Mulholland, brought to life through a rotating 9-piece band already seasoned by festivals, headline slots, radio play, and songwriting recognition. It is easy to anticipate Mulholland Jive becoming as big as Henge in the festival circuit this summer.

Jurassic Shark is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

 Review by Amelia Vandergast