London-based Trinidadian and old-school renaissance man Anthony Joseph has been making waves for a while with his poetry, music and creative dabblings – but has long seemed to deserve a backing outfit a bit more forward-looking than his trusty but unapologetically crusty Spasm Band. But with a little help from friends including producer Malcolm Catto, drummer and leader of The Heliocentrics (so inspired in their collaborations with Ethiojazz legend Mulatu Astatke) and the national treasure that is Jerry Dammers who produces the compelling 11-minute-long revolutionary poem ‘Generations’, Joseph finally gets the album he deserves. Rubber Orchestras is a stunning piece of work: a mix of funk, jazz, Afrobeat, Cuban rhythms and Caribbean soca that is more melodious and accessible than previous albums – but bolder and more confident, nonetheless. The USPs are many: there's Jasnett Lindo's honeyed vocals. The 1970s style psychedelic rock wig-outs. The experimental yet contained free jazz aesthetic. Most of all there's Joseph's declamatory word-pictures, spoken-sung with an urgency that's revelatory, politicised and sorely needed. Part Scott-Heron, part Lord Kitchener, Joseph has come into his own.