Dumpstaphunk – Where Do We Go From Here?
(The Funk
Garage/Mascot Label Group)
Release Date: 23rd April 2021
It is such a treat to be able to
share this album with you because authentic, raw funk is so hard to come by
these days and New Orleans collective Dumpstaphunk have it by the truck load. ‘Where
Do We Go From Here?’ is Dumpstaphunk’s new long player and it gets straight
down to business with ‘United Nation Stomp’ featuring some guitar noodling, a
big beat and an even bigger bassline to kick things off in style. ‘Make It
After All’ continues the energy but turns the funk up with some slapped bass
and a horn section that compliments the vocals perfectly as dual call to arms.
The organ takes centre stage on ‘Backwash’ with stabs and flourishes dancing
all over the rhythm section until it all goes a bit freaky with some synth
sounds at the end.
By the time we hit ‘Lets Get At It’
at track four, the band are well in to their stride and your neck is already
showing the strain from all the head bobbing to that beefy rhythm section. The
title track of sorts, ‘Where Do We Go?’ is nearly nine minutes long and is something
of a funk odyssey which starts with a relatively pedestrian rhythm that is embellished
with organ, guitar and horns along the way. By the end of the track with are
treated to a full-on funk wig-out with each musician getting their turn to show
off their skills one by one. A drum roll introduces the instrumental ‘Itchy Boo’
which takes a stroll down a sunny boulevard before ‘In Time’ kicks in with
those slathered horns and a drummer in full force keeping time but playing fast
and loose with the rules. ‘Do You’ is part talk-show walk on theme and part Stevie’n’Nile
funk jam that just won’t quit that leads neatly in to ‘Dumpstamental’ which is
another opportunity to show off, musically speaking, and why wouldn’t you with chops
this big?
‘Sounds’ opens with some uncharacteristic
distortion laden guitars which leads into a song that feels like Lenny Kravitz
returning to his dirty roots – never has funk rock sounded this good. The album
comes to a triumphant end with recent single ‘Justice 2020’ which is a
triumphant sound and is particularly fitting in the week that George Floyd’s
family got something approaching justice. Dumpstaphunk are the real deal with talent,
soul, funk and a moral compass pointed in the right direction – a rare and
special thing indeed.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/DumpstaphunkNOLA