Galactic – Carnivale Electronicos
Reviewed by Sadie O., 3/7/12
Awesome N’awlins Funk with lots of electronics and big sound. Great guest vocalists from both the Big Easy and Brazil. Despite lots of electronica, there’s a strong second line feel throughout. Funky as mess, but leaning a bit more to loudness than to hip hop, as their last record seemed to do. Every track is better’n beignets, but track 7 has a single FCC, and track 10 is even better than crazy good.
1. 3:29 ***big drums, loudspeaker vocals and chants, funky midtempo electronica with bon ton voodoo, electric guitar and piano. No doubt it’s a party!
2. 3:33 ***a bit downtempo but high energy proper R&B funk, male and female vocals. SERIOUSLY funky.
3. 3:27 ***electronics and drumline snares, vocals in Brazilian Portuguese. Unexpectedly pretty guitar bit.
4. 3:05 ***somewhat downtempo electronic funky Zydeco-glitch (!) Interesting mashup of trad with ultramodern.
5. 3:28 ***downtempo country-funk with Cyril Neville. A bit relaxed, nice horn section and chorus.
6. 1:23 ***serious drums and percussion. Uptempo funky instrumental, slinky horns. Wish it was longer!
7. 3:10 FCC: “shit” ***downtempo relaxed super-funky strut. Gruff hip hop vocals.
8. 3:35 ***big drums, big horns, courtesy of a high school marching band. Instrumental, top stuff. These kids kick butt and don’t bother taking names!
9. 0:57 ***lots of percussion, cuica and harmonica, funky and goofy instrumental.
10. 3:18 ****different lots of percussion, funky guitar and vocals (remake of the singer’s old hit.) Big, fat and sweeet!
11. 3:29 ***funky tom and tuba blats, then lovely but menacing slinky instrumental crawl. Gnarly!
12. 2:43 ***Brazilian percussion and funk, pretty vocals in Brazilian Portuguese. Serious trumpet.
13. 3:38 ***downbeat and downtempo, keyboards and handclaps, a bit churchical – although the big electric marching things keep busting in and partying every so often.