Jazz meets funk meets jam meets fusion meets prog on the debut from Florida's Side Project called Out Last Album. Certaintly, after digging through these grooves a few times, let's hope that is not their last one. This is some seriously fun stuff, and hearing this almost made me feel like I was experiencing a long lost jam session from Frank Zappa's Burnt Weeny Sandwich era, yet mixed with a healthy dose of jam band mentality and funk grooves. Citing influences like Tool, Herbie Hancock, Curtis Mayfield, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Dream Theater, Primus, and Phish, it's easier to get where these guys are coming from. There's not a boring section to be had on this rollicking and swinging CD, which will have you tapping your foot, swaying your body, and marveling at the hot instrumental sections that litter the album.
There are many highlights here, like the extended jam/funk of "Too Funkee Shoes" complete with snappy horns and wah-wah guitars, the early Jethro Tull sounding "Talk to Me", the complex vocals mixed with deep grooves on "Hippos in the Kitchen", and the avant-garde, Zappa flavored "The Wooden Lady and Her Shadow Dog" and "A Lil' Dab'll Do Ya". Just when you think the band is settling back for some laid back jazz complete with sax & trombone, they come roaring back with some gritty guitars, raging synths, funky vocals, and punchy rhythms. If the Red Hot Chile Peppers ever decided to get rid of their hard rock & punk edge and add a horn section, they might sound like Side Project.
Our Last Album is one of those CD's that you slap into the player on an unsuspecting party and observe what happens. My guess is the majority will ask "who are these guys" while they are bouncing to the complex grooves. Fun stuff guys, and I'll be looking forward to the follow-up.
Track Listing
1) Hippos in the Kitchen
2) The Wooden Lady and Her Shadow Dog
3) AFU
4) Peaking
5) A Lil' Dab'll Do Ya
6) Gnobwhasch (Part 1)
7) Too Funkee Shoes
8) Time
9) Talk to me
10) Ryan's Blues
11) Gnobwhasch (Part 2)
12) Green Regs and Jam
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