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Review: 'Solid bronze'
'The Fruit Basket'   

-  Label: 'Schnitzel Records'
-  Genre: 'Soul' -  Release Date: '20.9.20.'

Our Rating:
Solid Bronze are a deep down and dirty funk band formed by Mickey Melchiondo from Ween with help from Dana Colley from Morphine and produced by Deen Ween who also provides vocals, it sounds nothing like either of those groups. They also have a cast of great musicians along to make sure this album always sounds on it.


From the deeply funky grooves of the opening Papas Bug, Solid Bronze are taking us on a ride into the late 60's and early 70's style almost blaxploitation funk even while the vocals are talking about how the deep state is watching you and up to no good while we all get down and dance to this monster of a tune.

Invisible Man has autotuned vocals that are done in a way that makes them more like a late 70's vocal box and some very Issac Hayes style spoke sung vocals against the main vocal as they explore just what's wrong right now complete with a trippy funky guitar solo, like Johnny Guitar Watson is still the man, this is mellow gold.

The main single from the album Hard To Keep The Faith sounds like an updating of an old Funkadelic stomp along funk classic that many of us will be happy to sing along with this year when it's been harder than ever to Keep The Faith.

Swangin is hot sexy Issac Hayes style bedroom funk to get down and dirty too, as we all try to gyrate in time with the brass stabs and that loose beat.

Bronzemagic isn't a tribute to Bronze records more like a jazz funk odyssey that to me feels like a missing link between Alice Coltrane and The Daktari's.

Midnite Goose is a good old fashioned funky dance sensation as we all get ready to get down and funky like a Midnite Goose with vocals like your listening to a late night radio while out cruising for some action mixed in with all sorts of chit chat as the journey progresses I almost expected it to go all warriors on us at one point.

Mumbo Jumbo opens with a sax part that sounds stolen from a Fela Kuti album before it gets all tripped out with some nice hazy beats and thankfully they haven't sampled any political Mumbo Jumbo for lyrics, as if they did that this year, the song would go on for hours, which would certainly be a good thing. The last minute of the song strips everything back before testing your stereo with a section where the music pans around the room and you feel like the room is revolving.

The Critter is a soul funk song that feels like the explanation of some cat's street name as we watch The Critter go about his daily business, I almost imagine him having some interaction with Pam Grier.

Paradise Lounge is laid back and perfect to be drinking some sundowners too at the end of a lazy day arguing over your favourite flute funk records and which one the flute line on this one is stolen from.

The album closes with Like That Ole Saying Goes that's perfect for the credits sequence of another blaxploitation film as the hero struts off into the bright new day that's just arriving as we see the wreckage they've left behind in the ghetto and the sinewy guitar lines lead into the lazy vocals that signal it really is time for change from the life.

This really is a great funky blaxploitation style album that will grow on you and just needs to be heard on repeat. Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/solidbronzeband/ www.solidbronzeband.com???http://schnitzel.co.uk/
  author: simonovitch

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