Funk music has always had its eccentric characters - George Clinton and Bootsy Collins immediately come to mind but you can also cite Isaac Hayes, Sly Stone and more recently Jamiroquai.
But if you are gonna make funky music..
it is essential to have a fun and colorful nature.
Plant Life carry on this tradition.
The Los Angeles-based group is the brainchild of Jack Splash who put together a 12-piece brand to create a sound that mixes up old school hip hop, '70s soul and a whole load of funk.
Think Prince meets Andre 3000 and The Ohio Players.
Their second album is Time Traveler which seriously puts the FUN in funk and sparks feelings of joy, moments of involuntary body movement and tongue in cheek playfulness.
This playfulness is captured on several tracks but none more so than on What A World (Babygirl).
Splash's vocals ride the cool keys and guitar licks like a cloud hopping astronaut - "What a world, look around, baby everything you see, we could live in a world that would be so N-IC-E.
What a world, babygirl, you could make it real for me, we could live in a world, you could be my L-O-V-E.
" With an album 17 tracks deep you could be forgiven for thinking that this may be a little long winded, however even the smallest trough quickly turns into a mountain of funk.
The undeniably funk driven cuts Rollerskate Jam, Outta Control and new single Lovetoy could bring a dead polar bear back to life and make it move its ass.
Even some of the interludes featured are slammin' - check out the electro broodiness of U Messed It Up, SO WE Took It Back...
But the album isn't all booty shaking fun and shenanigans, Splash gets more political on Tear The House Down where he exclaims "We don't want no Democrat, cuz they really ain't saying shit.
Fu*k that, give me George Clinton and Bootsy for president.
" The mellowest moment comes from the final track, Fool For U, which has Splash's vocals laid over an old Isley Brothers track (Don't Say Goodnight).
Splash smooths out his delivery here and croons about a fractured relationship.
My favourite cut here is Sumthin About Her which you can't help but clap along to.
The bass line will get your hips grinding and you head bopping - guaranteed! This is made more fun thanks to the cheeky syth stabs laid through out the chorus.
Content isn't too heavy on the brain, with wholesome love musings being the main serve.
But this album isn't about finding deep and meaningful epiphanies - it's about wrapping your ears around some cool and body moving sounds.
In the end Time Traveler takes the listener on a trip back to the origins of funk through to the synthesized sonics of the 80s and right into a new phase of musical expression.
Get moving!
But if you are gonna make funky music..
it is essential to have a fun and colorful nature.
Plant Life carry on this tradition.
The Los Angeles-based group is the brainchild of Jack Splash who put together a 12-piece brand to create a sound that mixes up old school hip hop, '70s soul and a whole load of funk.
Think Prince meets Andre 3000 and The Ohio Players.
Their second album is Time Traveler which seriously puts the FUN in funk and sparks feelings of joy, moments of involuntary body movement and tongue in cheek playfulness.
This playfulness is captured on several tracks but none more so than on What A World (Babygirl).
Splash's vocals ride the cool keys and guitar licks like a cloud hopping astronaut - "What a world, look around, baby everything you see, we could live in a world that would be so N-IC-E.
What a world, babygirl, you could make it real for me, we could live in a world, you could be my L-O-V-E.
" With an album 17 tracks deep you could be forgiven for thinking that this may be a little long winded, however even the smallest trough quickly turns into a mountain of funk.
The undeniably funk driven cuts Rollerskate Jam, Outta Control and new single Lovetoy could bring a dead polar bear back to life and make it move its ass.
Even some of the interludes featured are slammin' - check out the electro broodiness of U Messed It Up, SO WE Took It Back...
But the album isn't all booty shaking fun and shenanigans, Splash gets more political on Tear The House Down where he exclaims "We don't want no Democrat, cuz they really ain't saying shit.
Fu*k that, give me George Clinton and Bootsy for president.
" The mellowest moment comes from the final track, Fool For U, which has Splash's vocals laid over an old Isley Brothers track (Don't Say Goodnight).
Splash smooths out his delivery here and croons about a fractured relationship.
My favourite cut here is Sumthin About Her which you can't help but clap along to.
The bass line will get your hips grinding and you head bopping - guaranteed! This is made more fun thanks to the cheeky syth stabs laid through out the chorus.
Content isn't too heavy on the brain, with wholesome love musings being the main serve.
But this album isn't about finding deep and meaningful epiphanies - it's about wrapping your ears around some cool and body moving sounds.
In the end Time Traveler takes the listener on a trip back to the origins of funk through to the synthesized sonics of the 80s and right into a new phase of musical expression.
Get moving!
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