Chris Daly recorded a funk album entirely on melodica and is looking for PR.
The world needs more talk-box, plain and simple. Roger Troutman has been gone far too long, and let’s be honest, auto-tune was a bastard step-cousin, at best. L.A producer/remixer/DJ/
With an obvious reference point in Zapp, B. Bravo stakes his claim somewhere just north of Dam-Funk, with ample nods towards Prince, Rick James, The Gap Band, Midnight Star, Parliament and other funkateers of the late 70s/early 80s era. Under 20 minutes over a taut four tracks, Bravo wastes no time before putting a wiggle in your ear hole. The eponymous opener is a synth workout, Bravo making moves on the keys that would impress Bernie Worrell, with sultry, manipulated-voice callouts exploring the many ways he likes to freak it, which I believe was the topic of one of Joseph Campbell’s lesser known works. Follow-up “Please, Oh Please,” injects a sense of urgency onto the dancefloor groove, a hip grinding affair of the nastiest order. “Two to Tango” slows the vibe slightly, an instrumental jam that brings to mind two UFOs falling in love. Closer “Come Thru On Tha One” is dedicated to the search for intelligent fun, arguably the worthiest of causes.
In the darkest hours, sometimes the best solution is to simply accept that all we can do is get our collective groove on and dance away the bad times. On Cosmic Mind, B. Bravo proves he’s got the flashlight to lead the way.
