Fantastic Negrito, the multi-talented African-American singer-songwriter, recently reissued his debut album The Last Days Of Oakland, due to his signing to the Cooking Vinyl record label. It may seem like an odd choice to reissue an artist’s debut, but in this case it seems like a completely worthwhile decision, due to how fantastic the album is.

By Jane Howkins

Fans who enjoyed the original will obviously love this, and there is nothing new that we can really say about the majority of the album other than that it’s a great listen, and one that combines elements from a number of different genres, including roots, r ‘n’ b, and the blues, all mixed up into one lovely package. Negrito is doing something very different to what the majority of his peers are doing, and the progression that he has made over the past few years is incredible, making himself a force to really be reckoned with.

This reissue contains two extra tracks, called Push Back, and The Shadows. Both tracks are welcome additions to the record, fitting in perfectly with the tone and mood that accompanies the rest of the tracks. The Shadows is a hard, bluesy ramble that shows a more aggressive side to Negrito, whereas Push Back features a more gospel tinged sound. This reissue of The Last Days Of Oakland might not be such an essential purchase for fans who already own the album (although we highly recommend you get the two new tracks), but for those who haven’t checked Fantastic Negrito out, this is the ultimate package, and it comes highly recommended from us.

The Last Days of Oakland by Fantastic Negrito is out now.