Sinkane at Heaven, London, gig review: Eclectic, electro-funk jams that can brighten the darkest of days

Artist's five-piece project has flourished into a finely-tuned expression of joy

Sudanese-American musician Sinkane asks you to leave your scepticism at the door of his live shows

You might have noticed, what with the world on the brink of nuclear war and all, that goodwill has been in rather short supply throughout 2017.

Enter Sinkane, AKA shapeshifting, London-born, Sudanese-raised, Brooklyn resident Ahmad Gallab, whose eclectic, electro-funk jams are created with the sole purpose of lifting the spirit and celebrating life.

Gallab has collaborated with Caribou, Yeasayer, Damon Albarn and David Byrne, but he has honed his decade-long Sinkane project into a finely tuned expression of joy on new album Life & Livin’ It, a manual on how socially conscious poptimism can brighten the darkest of days.

The positivity extends to his live show. One must leave their scepticism at the door. This is pure escapism: The only reference to an Atomic Bomb is the influence of William Onyeabor, the cult Nigerian musician for whom Gallab fronted a successful tribute band of the same name.

Like Onyeabor, Gallab balances Afrobeat, funk, krautrock and simple synth lines to make good time music. Tonight is celebratory: With the help of his five-piece band, Gallab jumps from buoyant Afro-funk (“U’Huh”) to soulful grooves (“Passenger”) and extended funk jams, which allow guitarist Jonny Lam the space to take Gallab’s structured rhythms somewhere altogether more fluid.

There’s pop nous here too: Take the stomping “Telephone”, the sound of pre-comeback LCD Soundsystem jamming with Onyeabor; or closer “How We Be”, whose slinky keys line allow Gallab to show off his soulful, Curtis Mayfield-esque falsetto. “Favourite Song” has a chorus refrain so effortlessly catchy it’s a wonder nobody got there first.

That Gallab fills many of the songs with trite lyrics about “smiling faces/ warm embraces” and how “we’re all going to be all right” could grate – his stage banter is as endearingly goofy – were it not for the heartfelt generosity with which they’re delivered. Besides, it’s easy to be cynical; it’s much harder to make a positive impact on people’s lives. If only more people shared Sinkane’s outlook.