First impressions can be deceptive. On opener ‘New Year’s Anxiety’, Greenwich trio Ashok seem to continue where The Wolfgang Press left off on their cover of the Randy Newman classic ‘Mama Told Me Not To Come’ 15 long years ago. And that’s putting the fun into funk.

Nevertheless, Flo, Leo and Chris, cover more bases than funky, funky, funky on this their debut album. As hard to categorize as TWP themselves, they also dabble in jazz, soul, country, and hip-hop on Plans. Ambitious doesn’t begin to describe their sound.

Three become eight live. Building up a reputation on the circuit, Ashok have secured a residency at Oliver’s Jazz Bar in Greenwich. Gigs there are notoriously messy affairs, and not just because of the copious amounts of red wine drunk by the audience.

Ashok may be on a label that’s only just recently celebrated its own launch. But it’s a record company with plenty of pedigree, seeing as it was set up by Jack Steven who’s previously signed the likes of X Ray Spex and the Eurythmics. And Ashok themselves come across as cocksure gonnatobes rather than wishy-washy wannabes, combining, as they do, elements of Marxman, Urban Species, Galliano, and The Young Disciples, all aboard the talkin loud merry-go-round at the height of Giles Peterson’s label’s powers.

They know how to give good party, but Ashok offer much more than just that. They’re talking loud, all right. And really saying something.

(3¾/5)