That's A Vibe - Sabbatical Bob (Album Review)

If you’ve gone to enough shows, you’ve definitely felt the “vibe” - the crowd, setting, and artists all merging together to create something special in that present moment. It carries the music along with the memories, recapturing those nights dancing in clubs or grooving with a band alongside your friends and fellow fans. In Sabbatical Bob, these talented young players are stewards of cultivating a vibe through dynamic, wide ranging funk that highlights both the individuals and the group. Every inch of their live sound encourages audience members to lock in and “shake that vibe.” Their latest full-length album, That’s a Vibe, steeps listeners in deep pocket grooves, stellar arrangements from an 8-piece ensemble, and a standout presence that begs to be experienced live.

Setting the vibe immediately with an endearing self-titled track, the band simply repeats the mantra, “That’s a Vibe!” “Electrolyte Solution/Broken Thumb” turns up the heat with a hydrating burst of funk complete with James Brown stylings, energy that’s no doubt fueled by electrolytes to reinforce their fast breakbeat sections and winding horn arrangements, and a wild guitar solo from Ian Elyanbekov. “Lil Bunny Foo Foo” pairs gritty riffs a la Rage Against the Machine (especially with how the guitar and bass sound together) with playful dynamics and rhythmic interaction. In addition to holding down trumpet, this track showcases Benjamin Green’s vocal chops. “Really Right” blends an almost Hendrix-style phasing guitar riff against a half-time groove that’s as deep and wide as the grand canyon. The guitar gets plenty of room for a solo along with an affected trumpet and sax solo trade between Green and saxophonist Alain Sullivan. The percussion included by bandleader and drummer David Ward was a nice touch as well, adding to the feel and flavor of the tune.

“At Least One” slows things down but keeps the bass/guitar combo front-and-center. The backbeat shifts partway through the song and adds clav, giving the perfect “stankface” moment. “Paradise” oozes with swirling phasers, dark tones, ambient reverb and delay, before it brightens up (tempo, instrument tones, and more active playing) and builds to the peak with some stellar solos from Alain Sullivan and keyboardist Jordan Anderson. “Interlude 1” provides a wonderful palette cleanser with some wonderful lo-fi stride piano that adds to the feeling of scrolling through radio stations. “Drive” lays the vibe back and begs for a slow drive through the city. The groove develops throughout and even includes some trashy, New Orleans-esque swampy funk under some tasty vocals. After some additional radio sounds on “Interlude 2,” the Gogo party is in full swing with “Shake That Vibe,” a tune that instantly gets the party going. “Interlude 3” channel surfs through more radio stations before a reprise of a previous track under “Paradise II,” this time with some added synth solos. This feels like when a DJ brings back a groove from earlier in the set while cutting it with something new. To keep the vibe rolling as the album winds down, a mellow, spacey track called “Springtime” counterbalances all of the upbeat grooves with a warm, cozy, flavorful sonic soup that is a comfort to the soul.

From their polished, exciting live shows to their recordings radiating funk personality, Sabbatical Bob has shown their abilities as performers, collaborators, and producers all over That’s a Vibe. Musicianship is on full display to celebrate the individual players while the collective shines throughout the album. Funk is explored to its furthest reaches while adjacent sounds add tasty moments in each arrangement. The mix on this record sounds great as well, building on their last self-produced record and adding so much color to their already eclectic style. Sabbatical Bob easily proves why they are a rising in-demand collective of some of Michigan’s finest young talent while raising the bar for everyone wanting to claim “funk music” on their band’s bio page. Well done all around!

Album Credits:
Saxophones - Alain Sullivan
Trumpet/Vocals - Benjamin Green
Trombone - Zekkereya El-magharbel
Bass - Benjamin Wood
Guitar - Ian Eylanbekov
Keyboard - Jordan Anderson
Drums/Percussion - David Ward

Recorded & Mixed by Geoffrey Brown
Mastered by Kate Derringer

Support Sabbatical Bob!
Website: https://sabbaticalbob.wixsite.com/funk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SabbaticalBob
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sabbaticalbob/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4vFxdosJYUGMUbA3N7YmJ1?si=0r3L3TxjTFWSYkCxC0Hq0w
Bandcamp: https://sabbaticalbob.bandcamp.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXm0bvXVY7dX30kLtHuRElA/

Click to listen/buy the record!

Welcome to Neotroit Vol 1 - Say Less (Album Review)

If last year taught us anything, we are not used to listening as a country. Sure, we may consume hours of media, jump from podcast to YouTube video to album, but there are often things lost in translation. As Cory Henry put it in one of his tunes with The Funk Apostles, people are “talking loud, and saying nothing!” What if you could feel the change coming, stirring in the sonic spaces of a passion project in Detroit? What if there was a direct response to all of the noise, commanding your attention rather than your opinion? That’s what Welcome to Neotroit Vol 1 is bringing to the table.

This project is a collaborative effort under the band name “Say Less,” and it features Louis Jones and Jordan Anderson crafting a super imaginative collection of tunes geared towards having you think as you listen. Textures swirl around pocket grooves, synths pulse with warm bass lines, and samples and scratches cut through the mix and support featured soloists and emcees. The album unfolds with “The Shadow,” a track that is bookended by some cinematic synthesizer as you are introduced to the meat and potatoes of this album: black excellence in artistic expression! Keys and DJ sounds flow around dark, groovy beats to give this opening track some weight. It then moves to “Meritocracy,” a word often used to dismiss black citizen concerns about unequal opportunities in education, the job market, housing market, etc. However, in this tune you can tell every part was selected for its excellence and performing/creative ability, adding another layer of interpretation. The overdriven synth sounded like a guitar, and it reflects the anger that comes from hearing that “work hard and you can achieve anything” thrown at black citizens needing their basic needs met. “Teargas in the Savannah,” the second single released from the record, centers on an Afro-Cuban percussion groove, a bass clarinet driving the bass line, and saxophones improvising around in a fashion reminiscent of Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

“Derek Chauvin” was the first single released from the record, capturing the moods and black energy around calls for justice in response to the murder of George Floyd. It’s a spacey, heavy vibe punctuated by cool, “out” soloing and chordal interjections that lets you sink into the headspace needed to reflect on systemic racism and the police relations with the black community. “Karen Crowe” creates the perfect imagery in your head of the archetypal racist, entitled white woman who responds to anything black with outbursts and calls to management or cops. The tempo shifts and added video game-sounding synth textures almost sounds like a Street Fighter game where you’re placed in conflict with this Karen as a listener. The flute solo with the delay trail was a wonderful touch of color and tone. “The Big Bang” is as explosive as the real thing, with all of the tension and the frenzied drumming and keys and sounds being born into the universe this album has created. “Lilith & Eve” features some Herbie Hancock fusion vibes that also delve into the large ensemble, futuristic fusion freedom that is reminiscent of Kamasi Washington’s shared love for large sounds and multiple black genres interacting. “Intergalactic Gentrification” can be summed up like this: it takes a second to build, but you can’t ignore it once it drops, just like real gentrification! The raw percussion sounds peppered in the smoother synth layers feel great around the involved jazz head. Finally, to celebrate the contributions and collaborations on this record and tie up every concept into one send-off, listeners are treated to “ANTIFA Block Party.” It’s got the Afrofuturism and unapologetic funk of artists like Parliament Funkadelic paired with the energy you’d hear in a Detroit block party that tosses in some Go-Go music vibes. It’s a track that feels like a celebration of black artistry!

This album is one of the strongest first releases I’ve heard from a Michigan band, full stop. It’s a level of maturity in artistry that far exceeds their young age, and it’s a great indicator of how Detroit musicians work and collaborate. Strong musicianship, interesting production and arrangement, speaking to so many things through mainly sounds rather than lyricism (“say less”), and a level of care and passion that is palpable throughout. Listen to this record, absorb the messages baked into the artistry, and celebrate black culture with “Welcome to Neotroit, Vol 1!”

Support Say Less!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saylessproject/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saylessproject/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0kGuyiRGOHRv3TyZwRKhEZ?si=Rbwu73K6RlK0NzWhLeWB_g&dl_branch=1

Album credits:
SPECIAL THANKS TO David Ward, Geoff Brown, Kasan Belgrave, Ben Green, Chris Tabaczynski, Alain Sullivan, Desean Jones, MC Kadence & Mr. Demented for their musical contributions.
Mixed by Geoff Brown

Keep Up - Evan Wouters (Album Review)

For those who have been following Kalamazoo artist Evan Wouters (WOOTS), you may remember that he has been on a journey to release his first album as a bandleader and multi-instrumentalist with a host of collaborators on the performing and production end of the process. Fans and first time listeners alike were treated to “Home,” a tune as warm and inviting as walking into your own home after a long journey, and “Awake,” an Americana outing that urges everyone to seek out their passions. Now, after months of refining each tune in various studios, his album Keep Up is ready to enjoy this summer!

The introduction sets a very calming, beachside scene, complete with waves lapping the shoreline and gulls chirping in the distance as acoustic guitar plays in the foreground. The tune transitions into the opening single, “Miles Ahead,” featuring a full, funk-fueled outfit with additional vocalists and horn players. The tone right away is centered on progress, delighting in the joys of completing that next goal to move forward. Caleb Elzinga (Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers and GrooveGround Music) is featured on this track as well, blazing a triumphant trail of energetic tenor saxophone lines. “Leave It Alone” speeds things up with a driving bass and drum groove nestled in some washy soundscapes crafted by the layers of guitars and keyboards. To contrast the initial soundscape, the mood shifts after the second chorus to introduce some piano accompaniment among a lighter instrumentation. The high points in this tune are definitely the fast, fluid guitar solo early on and the Allman Brothers-style guitar soli towards the end, both performed by guest artists Rob Compa from Dopapod.

The next two tunes, “Home” and “Awake,” are reviewed in great detail in the linked posts that I did last year on this blog. Each tune serves to transition from the funkier, larger ensemble to the smaller, more intimate instrument pairings. “Off the Dock” lyrically details that feeling of falling off of a dock into uncharted waters, knowing you’re swimming towards safety but not knowing when exactly you’ll reach it. It mirrors the feeling of taking a risk and diving into your creative venture full-tilt, from the initial rush of the decision to searching incessantly for that moment of triumph in realizing your passions. The lack of bass and drums really emphasizes the intimacy of the song. “Steady Strides” centers on a jangly, old-timey acoustic band feel, adding in a tambourine for percussion and the upright bass, with tasteful horn stabs complimenting the style. For the solo section, Mark Lavengood rips on the dobro during an upbeat bluegrass accompaniment. This track adds yet another example of Woots’ exploration of genre through songwriting and arranging. “Rolling Coal” tells the story of a trip down US 131 gone sideways, complete with a classic train beat to drive the tune down the highway. Musically, the album travels back into the full band with “Untitled,” a track that showcases a solid mixture of “live feel” and a “warm, comfortable mix” between all of the instruments and vocals in the production. The lead tone on the guitar solo soars with reverb and delay with some tasteful, melodic phrasing that builds to some tapping at the end of the tune. “Denver” feels like an Incubus tune, with a sort of psychedelic timbre to the layering of the electric and acoustic instruments on top of the backbeat. There are some wonderful builds on riffs that are reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine with various payoffs: a splashy, expressive ending to the first build and a shift into a different texture for the trumpet solo on the second build. The track closes by returning to the shoreline, with “Outro” taking the listener back to the environment where the journey began.

This album is a great insight into how Evan Wouters operates as a creative. When performing, he delights in exploring what types of sounds he can craft on his own, developing several ways to generate new ideas for songs in the process. As a collaborator, he recognizes the value in bringing in experts on other instruments to enhance the authenticity of each genre choice. During the mixing and mastering process, he utilizes different producers to get an expert set of ears on every part of the recording process. All the while, he continues to learn and grow from the community around him as his vision comes closer to being fully realized on Keep Up, a title that motivates an audience into picking up the pace to follow his progress. This is such a great first outing from Evan Wouters, and it points to some wonderful music to enjoy when you can catch him around the Michigan music scene.

The album drops Saturday, May 22nd! Click the image below to pre-order!

Support Evan Wouters!
Website: www.wootsmusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wootsmusic/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wootsmusic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsROHGzNCiiRBq4zeMeHrqg
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0pMPMOTVvEBGaIQzwEfnUs?si=GETlOdrxQYGNxihJhVkKNA
Bandcamp: https://woots.bandcamp.com/album/keep-up

Album Credits:
Evan “Woots” Wouters (Executive Producer / Guitars / Vocals / Synthesizers / Compositions / Arrangements / Project Manager)
Joe Hettinga (Producer / Audio Engineer / Arrangements / Compositions / Piano / Rhodes / Hammond B3 / Prophet / Moog Sub Phatty)
Ian Gorman (Producer / Audio Engineer / Mixing)
Michael Arlen Bont (Banjo / Guitar)
Mark Lavengood (Dobro / Mule / Mandolin)
Rob Compa (Electric Guitar / Composition)
Shawn Lettow (Electric Bass)
Brandon Proch (saxophone / auxiliary percussion / EWI / support vox)
Max Brown (pedal steel)
Samuel Ephland (Drums / Percussion)
Terrance Massey (Trumpet)
Caleb Elzinga (Saxophone)
Jack McDonald (Upright Bass)
Jay Jay Ross (Support Vocals)
Carrie McFerrin (Support Vocals)
MC Friendly (Raps)
Joe Sturgill (Audio Engineer)
Kevin Kozel (Audio Engineer / Producer)
Jake Lashenick (Album Art)