G AND THE SOUND TRIBE - THE APOCALYPSE PARTY REVIEW
Market Harborough is the birth place of G and the Sound Tribe: a funkadelic, groovy six-piece band infusing lazy dub, hiphop and plentiful melodies.
Their recent EP ‘The Apocalypse Party’ hears four tracks from this playful group, and each song is accompanied with either a joyful melody, a symbolic narrative, or for the most part, both.
Before the introductory plucky guitar chords welcome in the first track of the EP, ‘UKOTR’: the artwork fills my preconceptions of this bands bouncy, creative energy. The lyrics provided by vocalist Normzilla are heard through a calming voice: nonchalant storytelling. G String's lyrics are sung naturally and meaningfully, projecting the motive to enjoy your life and not stress the little things in life.
The opening harmonies of ‘Egg Salad’ play nicely alongside the jazzy keyboard from pianist The Locksmith, lowering the tone nicely from the amped up ending of the first track. Once again, Normzilla’s bars speak on the realities of life, along with G String’s lyrics following a similar serious tone, though delivered through a light and calming voice.
‘Evil Robots’ is the penultimate track of the EP; long, aesthetically pleasing keyboard chords are played with a funky, acoustic drum pattern overlapping. This particular track gave me the impression that this group focuses on having a good time and getting your dance on, and this track sure as hell gets my feet moving and my head nodding. G String and Normzilla both spit quick lyricism over snappy chords and quick drums, their voices seamlessly bouncing well off each other.
The final track of the EP ‘House of Mirrors’ enters on a melancholic vibe, with eery harmonies and twinkling piano keys. The opening bars from G String are hard-hitting and very reflective of the world and society as a whole, the impact of those snappy snares and bopping keys all coming in at once is powerful for setting the rowdy atmosphere. The guitar by Zach the Funk Turtle coincides nicely with the piano keys in the hook and the ending of the track, ending the EP on a high.
‘The Apocalypse Party’, the name really does speak for itself. This group of forward-thinking individuals are creating funky sounds through a well orchestrated link of instruments, encouraging you to look under the rock and think about life from another perspective. This EP demonstrates what this creative group are capable of and I am looking forward to their later releases.
Purchase the EP below:
https://gandthesoundtribe.bandcamp.com
Catch 'Evil Robots' on BBC Introducing:
Matthew Knight
October 21st 2018