Bassist Dave Manington’s until now unfathomably under-the-radar band Riff Raff is all set to make a splash in early-2013 with the release of Hullabaloo. Since completing a music degree at Nottingham University and studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, Manington, as one of the founders of the Loop Collective, entered the fray by releasing an album called Headrush on the collective’s label four years ago that garnered quite some praise and made him a new name to watch out for. Part of the Walthamstow scene in north east London his work for the e17 Large Ensemble attracted the attention of close followers of the fertile scene that Riff Raff’s latest will, one would hope, shine further light on. The band besides Manington features singer Brigitte Beraha (generation Walthamstow’s Norma Winstone) who has had a great 2012, picking up acclaim from John Fordham in The Guardian for her word-of-mouth quartet Babelfish (with Barry Green, Chris Laurence and Paul Clarvis). 
Phronesis pianist Ivo Neame also joins the pulse-prevailing Manington on the new album, a big plus, and a continuation of their work together, as does Ma’s Tom Challenger, bluesy guitarist Rob Updegraff, who really lets rip on the title track against the supporting dream-like vocals of Beraha, and finally drummer Tim Giles, formerly of the precocious Hungry Ants many moons ago. Manington has written all the tunes with Beraha contributing lyrics on ‘Catch Me The Moon’, ‘Pedro Bernardo’, and ‘Not A Worthless Thing’. A record to put on the player when Twelfth Night is but a faded memory. SG
Released on 21 January. Dave Manington’s Riff Raff pictured top, and the album’s cover above inset