You could to sum up this this band as the amalgam of Tricky and Portishead, for it is clear Bows owes a lot to both. Unfortunately, Tricky went to the darkest regions of hell and back, and kinda sucks now. Portishead, on the other hand, wrestled with following up an impossibly brilliant debut and is nowhere to be heard of now. And, to be completely honest, Bows latest album Cassidy is much better than either of those artist’s last efforts.

Cassidy starts out like a drug induced trip inside a music box and doesn’t stop. The production and craft on the album is a marvel to take in and demands multiple spins. Just make sure that one of your listens is with headphones. There’s a lot to be heard in every corner. Sutherland’s skilled use of carny beats with breathy male and female vocals proves that this is the best trip-hop album in quite some time. Bows aren’t above fucking with your head, but the approach is lighthearted. Really, how can you take a song titled “Cuban Welterweight Rumbles Hidden Hitmen” seriously? Bows sound is like fireworks and rockets shooting high into the quiet, night sky and exploding with gorgeous color and sound that rain down and fade into obscurity. Check out toopure.com for more details.