Fila Brazillia have been honing their art for over 10 years, and this seventh studio album bears the mark of that experience. More uptempo than many of their previous outings, Touch of Cloth still carries that trademark quirkiness that the Hull-based funkateers have come to represent over the years. As usual with Fila albums, a definite style is difficult to ascertain, as their sounds range from funk to dub to soul to hip hop to broken beat to ambient -- usually all in the same trackWhat makes Fila stand out is their knowledge of all kinds of music styles and their ability to weave it all into a cohesive whole.Starting with the confident kick of "The Bugs Will Bite", the album offers example after example of intriguing musical craftsmanship. There's the unassailable mellow funk feel of "Airlock Homes", the ambient expedition that is Spore, some animated optimism on the cheeky "Swann Todd" and straight-up quirk on tracks like "Ridden Pony" and the slamming "Pigsblood and Chalk". Once again, Fila rise to the challenge of making new and original music with a recording packed with so many ideas and influences that it manages to stay fresh and lively from start to finish.Paul Sullivan - Amazon [2001]