For many in Athens, The First Street Heat may have been their primary introduction into local music and the immense talent that’s present in Athens. Then, the group “broke up,” but more so, consolidated into a smaller, more contained group with a greater emphasis on rap with Emerson B spitting some often-improvised and yet substantive lyrics.
Now, after a tumultuous year juggling band members, including the main lyricist Emerson B, the group is back with a new four-song EP,
Move Your Body
, and a solid cast of members dedicated to continuing the group’s signature experimental-funk style that is beginning to move closer to the band’s The First Street Heat roots.
Move Your Body
, however,
feels more like a rushed attempt to keep the group together rather than the meticulously crafted and layered work that was
Time Will Tell
. Yes, the group’s previous album was recorded in one of the finest studios in the U.S., but even with these rough recordings, it’s obvious the same spark the band once had is losing its shimmer.
The new EP certainly harks back to a more classic funk and R&B style and incorporates many of the same horn and bass styles that have been implemented in past SassafraZ songs. But, this time around the genre isn’t pushed forward nearly as much. Previous works have played with rhythms and improvisation in much more innovative ways, whereas parts of
Move Your Body
sounds as though it were notated and read note for note.
“Miss Sinister” is certainly the bright spot of the album featuring Ryan “MC Schwartz” on a killer bridge supported by a funky and heavy riff as well as the lightning-fast runs from drummer/vocalist Nathan Parker.
The vocals are far more prominent on the EP and harmonies are spot on, especially between lead vocalist Alex White and guitarist/vocalist Eric Turner.
Unfortunately, the rest of the album feels like a step back, rather than a move forward. The title track, “Move Your Body,” barely prompts a solid foot tapping or head nodding. “Take You Away” mixes some of the jamtronica elements from Turner’s side project Manitoa (which is taking off right now) but those more interesting and experimental elements are buried in the song.
SassafraZ has produced some of the best music to come out of Athens in the past five years or more and here’s hoping they can find the creativity inside themselves to produce more great songs like “Time Will Tell,” “Sound In The Distance” and “The Evil Disco Polka.” But sadly, this EP is a bump in the road for the group on nearly all fronts — instrumentally, lyrically and rhythmically — and only time will tell if this new lineup of musicians will sustain the band.
The group still has a ton of fantastic songs in its repertoire that are surely still apart of the live show, which Athenians can and should catch at Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery, 24 W. Union St. on Friday, because the live show is always a treat.
wh092010@ohiou.edu
@Wilbur_Hoffman
