Hailing from Meanjin/Brisbane, Kerbside Collection have for more than a decade been quietly building a reputation as Australia’s premier exponents of gritty, rare-groove jazz-funk. Ever since their 2013 debut Mind The Curb, the ensemble has consistently bridged classic West Coast funk, New Orleans brass rhythms, and modern deep-funk aesthetics. Driven by main composer and guitarist Tyler 'TC' Cooney, bassist Elliott Parker, and drummer Jason 'Paprika' Bell, the band crafts organic, rhythm-first compositions. Throughout their career thay have doubled-up on each studio release with a subsequent remix album, to the great delight of their followers. Their fifth studio LP Cue Blue strips away extra ornamentation to celebrate pure, analog group chemistry.

Landing like a cool sea breeze, Cue Blue captures Kerbside Collection at their most unpretentious and soulful. Stripping back to a core horn-and-rhythm quartet, the record balances sombre funk (‘Shivers’) against raunchy New Orleans street-smarts (‘City Park Avenue’) and razor-sharp hip-hop breaks (‘Coffee Grinder’). Aptly described in the album's Bandcamp entry, mid-album standout ‘Sittin' On The Porch’ slows the tempo to a humid, Delta-blues (or is that Brizzie?) crawl, that "cools the temperature down...suggesting some of the hot and muggy atmosphere and imagery of their home town...complete with kooky Casio percussion representing familiar yard sounds such as sprinklers (spinning lawn watering devices) and ‘mozzies’ (mosquitos), passing cars indicated by trombone, and guitarist TC Tyler, channelling some bluesy John Lee Hooker, R.L. Burnside guitar flavours - you can almost feel the humidity on your skin."

Elsewhere, the band's instrumental retro version of People Under The Stairs’ ‘San Francisco Knights’ pays affectionate homage to the band's musical lineage. Anchored by Elliott Parker’s songwriting and sultry double bass, the closing title track delivers pure vintage R&B sentiment, capping off an energised, brilliantly executed celebration of deep Australian-accented groove craft. Perfect pitched as music for beer garden, backyard or beach, Cue Blue promises to be the perfect soundtrack for the southern summer ahead.