The British group Ezra Collective has experienced one of the most remarkable ascents to fame in recent years, achieving a level of success once thought unattainable for a jazz band. They clinched the 2023 Mercury Prize, one of the UK's most esteemed music awards, for their 2022 album 'Where I'm Meant to Be'—the first time a jazz album has ever received this honor. At the time, drummer and band leader Femi Koleoso remarked: “Let me thank god because, if a jazz band winning the Mercury Prize doesn’t make you believe in god, I don’t know what will.” Since then, Ezra Collective's popularity has surged, and they are currently on their largest tour to date, culminating at Wembley Arena, marking the first time a jazz act has headlined the iconic venue. Anyone familiar with 'Where I'm Meant to Be' can understand the reason behind this milestone. Ezra Collective utilized their second album to blend various genre forms, from jazz to jungle, creating a series of immediate and exciting danceable tunes that also explored the experience of being a Black Briton. With their third album 'Dance, No One’s Watching', the group continues to follow their established path of high-energy, jazz-influenced tunes while incorporating more traditional jazz album sensibilities. The album opener 'Intro' gradually builds in volume over a backdrop of audience chatter. Throughout the album, audience interaction occasionally interjects, showcasing the group's unparalleled success as a live act. Once the band is in full swing, their knack for creating catchy jazz tunes is evident. 'The Herald' highlights Ezra Collective's most potent asset—its brass section's ability to craft hooky melodies that are so infectious, they could almost be mistaken for a pop group. Ife Ogunjobi's trumpet and James Mollison's tenor saxophone riff off each other, calling and responding, before converging in symphony to create Ezra Collective's signature party atmosphere. Meanwhile, they are effortlessly supported by Koleoso's driving percussion and Joe Armon-Jones' various synthesizer textures. The second single 'God Gave Me Feet For Dancing' is the first song to elevate the band from fun, dance-worthy jams to a fully-fledged pop classic. Vocals from Yazmin Lacey, combined with Armon-Jones’ smooth piano chords, give the song a sensual tone that transitions into the brass section's dance floor frenzy. Later, rising star Olivia Dean features on the similarly styled 'No One’s Watching Me', bringing out the band's ability to luxuriate in a more relaxed jam mode. These moments appear more frequently on this album than on their previous one, though songs like 'N29', which lack a guest vocalist, can feel unfocused and lack catharsis. Throughout 'Dance, No One’s Watching', the general theme is that when the band enters party mode, they are as captivating as ever. However, the slower sections, which allow the band to settle into extended jams, while pleasant, rarely offer anything musically exciting. Ezra Collective's superpower lies in making jazz appeal to pop sensibilities, but tracks like 'Why I Smile' come dangerously close to the endless YouTube “lo-fi jazz to study” genre, designed more as background music than actual art. Nonetheless, these tracks are a minor quibble in an overall exciting album that deftly navigates through genres such as Afrobeat and funk to deliver expansive, bustling tracks like 'Expensive'. 'Dance, No One’s Watching' often feels like a celebration, culminating in the closing track 'Everybody'. It's a celebration of Ezra Collective's meteoric rise, the breakthrough of jazz, and most importantly—in the ears of any listener. As a victory lap album post-Mercury Prize win, this album doesn't feel as #important—it doesn't feature high-profile endorsements like Steve McQueen praising their cultural impact—but it solidifies the group's ability to craft joyous melodies and rhythms to fill dance floors for years to come. Ezra Collective's 'Dance, No One's Watching' is set for release on 27 September.