Crooked Man comes correct with Crooked Stile, his third long-player, and first for Vicious Charm. The 10-track set collects several sought after singles, released over the last couple of years, and adds a handful of brand new numbers. 

The oldest tune here is the dance floor destroying reimagining of Thelma Houston’s take on Don’t Leave Me This Way, which was originally issued anonymously, and road / club tested on Crooked Man’s own imprint, Bitter End. Stretched and dubbed out over 12 minutes, it totally transforms and then teases dancers with its source. The house of Ron Hardy’s Chicago Music Box via Sheffield’s FON Studios and Jive Turkey. That’s countered, however, by a similarly devastating, exclusive reworking of Fleetwood Mac’s Second Summer Of Love smash, Big Love. The Crooked version is beefed-up, banging, muscular, bionic and again keeps crowds guessing. Taking them by surprise when the familiar chorus finally kicks in. 

Love & Resistance, back in 2023, was Crooked Man’s Vicious Charm debut. Marrying a finger-snapping garage skip with bleep bass this evolves into something truly sublime. A divine, deep delight, accompanied by gentle ripples of piano. 2024 saw It’s My Pleasure first strut its stuff. This skips again, but in a more speedy, UKG fashion. Its tempo tempered by emotive techno tones and softened by a filtered, soulful vocal. 

Talented tonsils also provide the focus on the buzzing electro Motown bop of Into Time. Its introspective melancholy – moving with tears in its eyes – resounding within cavernous warehouse echo, and shaken by mind-shredding scratch effects. Maladjustment To Love, previously “promo’d” on Bitter End, is another fine example of Crooked Man’s characteristic 21st Century machine soul. Sophisticated, understated, souped up, stripped back, sleek robo-disco. Big room pounding, with tantalising twisted frequencies in its shadows. A heavy, hypnotic hymn to heartbreak. Projection, a muted, muffled, 5AM minor chord mirrorball moment, features a restrained but gutsy, bluesy Roisin Murphy.

Denka is the album’s only downtempo diversion. A shot of weighty dread, digi-dub skanking, whose trip hop siren / temptress vocalist recalls alternately the tragic Amy Winehouse and Martina Topley-Bird with Tricky. Seriously sedated, the studio cloudy with skunk, but rocked by blasts of brass. Those horns eventually hitting a ragtime swing. 

Seesaw is a summery, ethereal, loved-up, Opus III-esque single from 2025. In contrast, the album concludes with the Jarvis Cocker cover, Cunts. An angry, super radio-unfriendly, clubland sing / shout-along call for revolution. Rave as an act of resistance. 

Crooked Man’s Crooked Stile can be ordered directly from Vicious Charm.