It's been three years since Freshlyground last released a studio album - and since then, this seven-piece has become nothing short of a music sensation, selling 250,000 copies of 2005's 'Nomvula', earning an MTV Europe Music Award, racking up radioplay and playing before a massive million-plus people. That Freshlyground's new album Ma'Cheri delivers the goods on so many levels is, then, happy news for those hundreds of thousands of people worldwide who have fallen for the Cape Town act's considerable sonic charms.

A mixture of uptempo dance tunes (such as the title track, the hilarious 'Manikiniki' and the throbbing 'Zulu Lounge'), mid tempo numbers (standouts include 'Desire', 'Ask Me' and 'Fired Up') and ballads (the glorious 'Pink Confetti' and 'Crimson Smile') are sure to please their fans. And Freshlyground have thrown in a few quirky tunes (such as 'Go Gorilla' and 'Ivana') to inject a welcome playfulness into the album.
By Dianne Coetzee