Music Spot: Simone and the Bobbing Heads - I'll Wear Something Nice

From time to time, we shine the spotlight on a SoundGym member by reviewing one of their releases for our Music Spot feature. In this review we take a look at SoundGym member Hans Mulders’ soul pop band Simone and the Bobbing Heads and their EP I'll Wear Something Nice.

Alongside Mulders, who plays drums and produces, the band is made up of Paul Graumans on guitar and Simone Nijssen on vocals. The trio are based in The Netherlands and I'll Wear Something Nice is their first longer form release, having pre-empted it with two singles. 

Simone and the Bobbing Heads’ stock in trade is light and breezy pop that is heavily indebted to soul and funk. The musicianship is to the fore here, with the band never being afraid to leave room in a song for a solo or two!

Their sound recalls a lineage of jazz-aware pop music that takes in acts like the Brand New Heavies, Zero 7 and Corinne Baily Rae. The production, completed in Mulders’ new Studio Konkreet is crisp and lively; polished, but retaining an essence of live performance.

The EP opens with ‘Good Day’, a insistently positive track that skips along on a light but driving beat, punctuated with blasts of brass. The breakdown appears to reference Stevie Wonder’s ‘Sir Duke’ which is a good signpost for the kinds of influences that are at play here. Following track ‘Hide’ is a great showcase for Nijssen’s mellifluous vocals, as they swoop and snake around the melody. The production here is indebted to smooth ‘80s pop; there is a liberal sprinkling of Fender Rhodes and even a sax solo. 

‘You & I’ marks a return to the brass-studded optimism of the EP’s opening track. Twinkling organ and stacked harmonies complete the picture. ‘More’ brings a heavier beat and bassline and feels like a nod to Acid Jazz.

The beats on the EP do often feel influenced breaks and hip hop, and no doubt the original funky beats that formed the basis of these kinds of sample based music. Final track ‘Butterfly’ showcases more of these breakbeat-referencing drums along with an analogue synth sound that wouldn’t have been out of place on Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions. 

I'll Wear Something Nice, stands as a refreshing testament to the timeless allure of soul and funk-infused pop. Led by Hans Mulders' multifaceted talents, the trio's artistry pays homage to classic influences while also bringing their own personalities to bear on the music.

The band's willingness to embrace the exuberance of solos and instrumental conversations is a nod to the power of unpretentious musical joy. The EP reminds us that despite the fact that this is a well-trodden road, the fusion of soul, funk, and pop can still create an irresistible and enduring blend.

To hear more from Simone and the Bobbing Heads, you can check out their website or Spotify. You can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or X. If you’d like to learn more about Mulders’ studio, which is based in Dordrecht just south of Rotterdam, then you can visit the website here.