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Polyrhythmics are an eight-piece band from the Pacific Northwest. If your tastes run toward \u201870s fuk and soul, the current-day funk-soul revival of (primarily but not always instrumental) bands like New Mastersounds, you\u2019ll luxuriate in the deep groove sounds of this outfit.<\/p>\n
But don\u2019t go thinking that Polyrhythmics are also-rans traveling in the wake of the Mastersounds. No, theirs is a unique sound, with a greater exploration of the complex rhythms one might find on James Brown, Maceo Parker and George Clinton records. And guitarist Ben Bloom has a texture all his own; you won\u2019t confuse him for Eddie Roberts.<\/p>\n
The sounds on Man From the Future<\/i> draw from \u201870s soundtrack jazz; just listen to the outro of \u201cYeti Set Go.\u201d And Nathan Spicer\u2019s plucky Clavinet work on \u201cThe Cutdown\u201d may remind you of the kind of grooves laid down by Steve Wonder, Dr. John and other heroes of yesteryear. A crack three-piece horn section digs deep into the melodies, too.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s plenty of subtlety here, too: the songs develop, ebb and flow, all without the use of vocals. Sometimes the vibe is hypnotic; other times it\u2019ll elicit rhythmic head-nodding. You\u2019 might even find yourself commenting out loud: \u201cOh, yeahhh<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n
A highlight among many here is \u201cDigital Cowboy.\u201d Jason Gray\u2019s rock-solid bass lays own an indelible groove, and Bloom slathers a tasty \u2013 yet never indulgent \u2013 solo atop it. The horn players turn in a wholly separate melody, and all the pieces fit together nicely. Toward the song\u2019s end some lovely, entrancing synthesizer work appears.<\/p>\n
Spaghetti Western guitar and moody organ form the basis of the brief \u201cIn the Trees.\u201d Side Two opens with some ethnic texture by way of \u201cChelada.\u201d There\u2019s a North African vibe to the tune, but other things are happening within as well. Two readings of the title track deliver a soulful feel, with wah-wah guitar a la Isaac Hayes\u2019 Shaft<\/i> and a lovely trumpet solo from R. Scott Morning. In fact, most all of the music on the LP would be well-suited for use in a soundtrack; it\u2019s gritty with a deep coat of gloss over the top.<\/p>\n
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Man From the Future<\/i> is the band\u2019s fifth long-player, and its first for Color Red, a label that\u2019s asserting a key role in the vinyl resurgence. But it\u2019s not the only thing the group has up its sleeve. 2020 also saw the release of an EP, Fondue Party<\/i>. With a devilishly dated cover, this five-track 12\u201d EP is designed for playback at 45 r.p.m.<\/p>\n
As the title and cover suggest, the EP traffics even more in retro stylings than its companion LP. Arthur Brown\u2019s flute is a key ingredient here, giving the record a feel not miles away from Herbie Mann\u2019s explorations of the late \u201860s and early 1970s. But more modern trip-hop influences inform \u201cCosimo,\u201d helping pull the record back toward a current day aesthetic.<\/p>\n
Sometimes an EP is a placeholder while an artist sorts out his or her next move. Other times it\u2019s a for-the-fans affair, filled with material that hardcore followers will dig, but that might not go over with casual fans. Fondue Party<\/i> is neither of these; it\u2019s different enough from Man From the Future<\/i> to warrant its existence. Together, the LP and EP provide a \u201chere\u2019s where we are now\u201d report from the Polyrhythmics. Here\u2019s hoping that live onstage is where they\u2019ll be in 2021.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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