Indie band Chef’Special is bringing in the ultimate recipe of neo-soul goodness all the way from the Netherlands in their new album Unfold.
‘Unfold’ is the fourth album from Chef’Special and the successor to 2017’s ‘Amigo’, which gained platinum status in the Netherlands.
The new album was produced by guitarist Guido Joseph at the band’s home base in Haarlem and centres on themes of self-acceptance, looking ahead and connecting with others. Chef’Special may be the Netherlands’ very own Ocean Alley in its own unique way because they have a plethora of sounds all in the one mix.
Unfold is a ten track journal filled album with songs expressing deep personal experiences. There are many different genre styles such as hip-hop, soul, rnb and indi-pop within each song. The listener is taken to different levels of emotional compass when listening to these songs depicting personal experiences of the band.
“During the process of creating this new album we tried to stay as true to ourselves as possible. By also producing this album ourselves we managed to make this a very personal album, both lyrically and musically. We are very proud of the result, and we feel like we managed to challenge ourselves and explore new paths.” – Chef’Special
The new single to spawn from the new album, ‘Kaleidoscope’ hits hard on the emotional level. This laid back tune has lead singer Joshua Nolet spitting out rhymes based on youthful nostalgic experiences about all the bad things. In ‘Kaleidoscope’ Nolet seems to be narrating to an old friend.
The song’s lyricism reflects on teenage angst, rebellion and freedom, seeing the good and the bad. Nolet picks troublesome instances from his youth and expresses them poetically. It incorporates the song’s namesake a kaleidoscope looking into the past but also looking into the individual’s self and how the narrator hopes to improve from the past.
The track ‘Trouble’ has a coming of age vibe where the singer comes to realise in a point in time that there is this gradual phase from immaturity to maturity. The music video illustrates the main character leaving home as a boy and is then seen as an adult playing rubgy with his friends in a backdrop of Scottish highlands. The character runs off with the ball into the wilderness searching for something more. Musically the song speaks like a reflective poem with light synths and drums which create a lo-fi serenity.
The track ‘Jungle’ has this pop-reggae driven element to it and is an exceptionally catchy tune. The repeated chorus has this in the moment/life is spontaneous meaning behind it which would make listeners get loose with themselves within the song’s groove.
Album titled song ‘Unfold’ kicks off with a Jimi Hendrix guitar riffing cascade which is laden with the vocalist’s placid delivery. The song expresses an undying love for someone close to the narrator’s heart. Describing the love as caressing like satin, this tender ballad strips everything bare and saves you from feelings of vulnerability.
Chef’Special has toured America as support act of Twenty One Pilots and has performed on the main stage at festivals like Pinkpop, Sziget or Lowlands, and sold-out venues like the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. This jack of all trades indie band always convinces their audience that every show they are at turns into a party. The band will go on tour to promote and celebrate Unfold on a European circuit, with eyes set on Germany, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Czech Republic and of course The Netherlands.
Unfold is out now on all streaming services.
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