Naive Melodies is a bold recontextualisation of the music of Talking Heads, reframed through the lineage of Black musical innovation that underpinned their rhythmic identity. Curated by Drew McFadden — the creative force behind BBE’s Modern Love project — the collection traces the Afro-diasporic, soul and experimental roots woven into the band’s distinctive approach to groove and repetition.
Drawing inspiration from figures such as Fela Kuti, Parliament and Al Green, Naive Melodies shifts focus away from surface aesthetics and towards the deeper rhythmic frameworks that informed Talking Heads’ catalogue. Rather than imitation, the album offers reinterpretation: familiar material reshaped by artists who work fluently across jazz, soul, funk, gospel, dub, Afrobeat, electronica and Latin traditions.
The album features a globally minded lineup including Liv.e, Bilal, Rogê, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Aja Monet, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Theo Croker, Kenny Dope, Rosie Lowe, Pachyman and W.I.T.C.H. Each contribution foregrounds groove, texture and collective rhythm, reconnecting the songs to the musical languages that helped form them.
More than a tribute, Naive Melodies is a cultural conversation — one that places Black musical influence at the centre of Talking Heads’ legacy and lets those rhythms speak for themselves.
Drawing inspiration from figures such as Fela Kuti, Parliament and Al Green, Naive Melodies shifts focus away from surface aesthetics and towards the deeper rhythmic frameworks that informed Talking Heads’ catalogue. Rather than imitation, the album offers reinterpretation: familiar material reshaped by artists who work fluently across jazz, soul, funk, gospel, dub, Afrobeat, electronica and Latin traditions.
The album features a globally minded lineup including Liv.e, Bilal, Rogê, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Aja Monet, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Theo Croker, Kenny Dope, Rosie Lowe, Pachyman and W.I.T.C.H. Each contribution foregrounds groove, texture and collective rhythm, reconnecting the songs to the musical languages that helped form them.
More than a tribute, Naive Melodies is a cultural conversation — one that places Black musical influence at the centre of Talking Heads’ legacy and lets those rhythms speak for themselves.
Pickup available at Dreamhouse Records London
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