Akoya continues to ride their wave of momentum right now by dropping the second single from their forthcoming album, P.D.P. (President Dey Pass). In true Afrobeat fashion, they do it in the form of a pair of quick little thirteen minute ditties. "Fela Dey(1)" begins just the way it should, slowly building in complexity with horn arrangements chasing themselves around the track while nice steady guitar and percussion work provides the anchor. The keys and drums then play a little friendly game of tug o' war until the tension releases with an explosion of vocals and horns. Once the groove sets in you be lulled into a very special state where everything begins to blend together, but without feeling directionless or repetitive. The flip features "Wahala(2)" which fans of the Budos will immediately connect with. That tight looseness in the intro just sets things in the right direction. I get the strong feeling from Akoya that they are not trying to rush their ideas or put too many in one song. Everything seems to get proper space to breathe and develop and if anything I almost want some of their songs to stretch out a little more. That says a great deal considering one of my biggest criticisms of all the "Afrobeat" groups that have popped up in the last handful of years is that some of them tend to make some long-ass songs that don't go anywhere just because they know that Fela brought the super-extended heat. So here's to Akoya's continued evolution and their long-ass songs that could actually stand to be a little longer.

reviewed by Telekinetic Kat