CONTRIBUTING WRITER : JASON TURGEON
Galactic lets you know that they’ve been bitten by the mash-up bug right from the get-go of their new album, Ya-Ka-May. The cover itself is a mix, a collage piece that’s part homage to Sgt. Pepper and part tribute to New Orleans, with a polar bear thrown in for good measure. If you missed the obvious symbolism in the cover, then the intro track, “Friends of Science,” should clue you in within the first few seconds. “Friends,” a short throwaway that intersperses vocal clippings from a forgotten B-movie’s mad scientist in with the band’s trademark horns and bass is a gimmick, but it works, and it’s a good way to set the stage for what’s coming down the line.
Starting with the second track, all the tracks save one feature a different New Orleans artist. This is a similar approach to the band’s last album, From the Corner to the Block, which paired the band’s signature wailing funk with some of the underground hip-hop’s brightest stars. This time around, the band works with everyone from legends like Allen Toussaint to relative unknowns such as “bounce” artist Big Freedia. Ya-Ka-May does its best to put a spotlight on all of the different musical styles that are keeping the streetcorners and late-night clubs of New Orleans hopping in 2010, and in that regard the album’s a complete success. Individually, each track is tight, well-produced, and entirely listenable. As an album, however, it lacks a cohesive start-to-finish vibe, and fans who were introduced to the band back in the days when Theyrl DeClouet was belting out the vocals might put down their headphones a bit disappointed.
The best way to regard this album is as a collection of really good singles. Listened to that way, it’s a real winner, and as a business strategy in the age of 99 cent downloads it makes sense. Although it’s unlikely that most fans will love every track, there is something for everyone on Ya-Ka-May. Old-timers missing the bad-ass lyricism that Theryl brought to the band will be thrilled as Irma Thomas’s stellar turn on “Heart of Steel” battles Glen Davis’s heartfelt performance on “You Don’t Know” for overall best track. Newer fans who were introduced to the band through the hip-hop tour supporting From the Corner to the Block will swoon for Big Freedia’s bounce on “Double It” and Cheeky “hey, motherfucker” Blakk’s pull-no-punches verbal assault on “Do it Again.” New Orleans traditionalists get plenty to choose from with standout instrumental tracks featuring the Rebirth Brass Band (”Boe Money”), Allen Toussaint (”Bacchus”), and Trombone Shorty (”Cineramascope”). Those who like their funk served up with a side of blues get their dues with two spectacular slow, dark grooves on “Speaks His Mind” (with Wolfman Washington pulling at your heartstrings) and “Liquor Pang” (with Josh Cohen and Scully laying down a downright unnerving wail). There’s even a track that sounds as much like dancehall as anything, the eponymous “Katey vs. Nobby” featuring Katey Red and Sissy Nobby.
Overall, this album is a winner, even though you’ll probably only like at most 2/3 of the tracks. Pick your favorites and put ‘em into heavy rotation, because there are some damn fine songs on this album. This is not a wear-out-the-needle winner like 2001’s live masterpiece We Love ‘Em Tonight, and old-school fans may finally have to come to grips with the fact that that particular era of Galactic is gone for good. But the emphasis here is on the “for good” part, because with these last two albums of collaborations the band has found a way to remain musically fresh and relevant. It’s a trick that many bands fail to pull off–or worse, never attempt–and it’s good to see musicians as talented as these take some risks by stretching out into new genres and working with new partners. You probably won’t drop the CD into your player and listen to it from start to finish more than once, but you will find a handful of tracks that fit right into whatever your particular notion of Galactic may be. Jazz funk, vocal funk, instrumental funk, hip-hop funk, or just plain funk, it’s all here, and it’s all good.
Galactic kicks off a winter/spring tour on Wednesday, Feb. 3, in Boston with guests Cyril Neville (The Neville Brothers) and Corey Henry (Rebirth Brass Band).
The new album Ya-Ka-May is due out Feb. 9th but an advance copy is streaming now at Paste Magazine: http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/paste_station?track_id=2464
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Paradise Rock Club |
Boston, Massachusetts |
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Theater of Living Arts (TLA) |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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Terminal 5 |
New York City, New York |
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9:30 |
Washington DC,
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The Lincoln Theater |
Raleigh, North Carolina |
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Music Farm |
Charleston, South Carolina |
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Visulite Theater |
Charlotte, North Carolina |
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Variety Playhouse |
Atlanta, Georgia |
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The Pageant |
St. Louis, Missouri |
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Granada |
Lawrence, Kansas |
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The Fillmore |
Denver, Colorado |
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Belly Up |
Aspen, Colorado |
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The Wilma |
Missoula, Montana |
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The Nightlight |
Bellingham, Washington |
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Whistler Live! |
Whistler, British Columbia |
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Showbox |
Seattle, Washington |
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Roseland Theater |
Portland, Oregon |
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The Crystal Bay Club/Crown Room |
Crystal Bay, Nevada |
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Moe’s Ally |
Santa Cruz, California |
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Belly Up Tavern |
Solana Beach, California |
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El Rey Theater |
Los Angeles, California |
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The Fillmore |
San Francisco, California |
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The Fillmore |
San Francisco, California |
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Wasted Space |
Las Vegas, Nevada |
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Club Quattro (Osaka) |
Osaka |
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Club Quattro (Nagoya) |
Nagoya |
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Club Quattro (Tokyo) |
Tokyo |
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Club Quattro (Tokyo) |
Tokyo |
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Bluesfest (Byron Bay) |
Tyagarah, New South Wales |
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Bluesfest (Byron Bay) |
Tyagarah, New South Wales |
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Majestic Theatre |
Madison, Wisconsin |
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Cabooze |
Minneapolis, Minnesota |
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Vic Theatre |
Chicago, Illinois |
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House of Blues |
Cleveland, Ohio |
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Buster’s Billiards & Backroom |
Lexington, Kentucky |
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Orange Peel |
Asheville, North Carolina |
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Exit/In |
Nashville, Tennessee |
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Minglewood Hall |
Memphis, Tennessee |
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Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest |
Augusta, New Jersey |
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