Alternately funky and deeply felt, the recently dropped Out of Love EP from the Canadian-bred nu-soul outfit Busty and the Bass captures a satisfying morsel of the band’s free-spirited sound and plates it up beautifully for listeners to dig into. Dashing and dancing between horn-laden funk, stirring blue-eyed soul, and electrified jazz, lead singer Nick Ferraro and his brigade of players draw from a lovely jumble of music’s funkier past while also inlaying the band’s entertaining personality.
Album opener “Out of Love” is all sunlit fun that, oddly enough, tells the tale of a one-sided love affair. It’s carried along by a buoyant disco-bass, cozy keyboards, and a swanky horn section. As a singer, Ferraro brings a “Citizen Cope mixed with Anderson.Paak” energy to his performances and sounds naturally at ease working with the exceptional Macy Gray on this sparkling tune. A bluesy soul number called “Kids” follows the title track and brings to mind the sort of blue-eyed soul that Mick Hucknall brought into the limelight with his band Simply Red. Colored with emotive soul, the song is a truly memorable piece that’s hard to let come to a close when the “replay” button is just sitting there offering you the chance for another listen. Next comes a romping jazz stomp called “Baggy Eyed Dopeman” which features a guest appearance from P-funk pioneer George Clinton. Filled with color and energy, the tune places less of a focus on individual vocal performances and more emphasis on the spirited juke-joint energy radiating from all parties involved.
After enjoying a roaring time with “Dr. Funkenstein” himself, the band decides to throttle down a bit with an uber chill number called “Clouds”. We are set adrift on a slow rising swell to the cosmos where Ferraro and guest vocalist Amber Navran (of the band Moonchild) wrap listeners in a heartfelt ballad that’s overflowing with quiet longing, welcomed tenderness, and warmly layered melodies. Bringing things to a close is “Summer” – a poignant acoustic-soul piece that really sets a complimenting spotlight on Nick Farraro’s raspy timbre. The orchestral rise of the sentimental ballad ends the EP on a moving, long-lasting note that sticks with you for several moments into the silence left in the EP’s wake.
The songs of Out of Love will definitely satisfy those throwback cravings that most funk & soul fans find themselves needing to fill on a nearly daily basis. Not because Busty and the Bass have successfully mimicked what other artists have done before them, but because they have internalized and expanded on the timelessness of leaving a little bit of yourself in your music before sharing it with the world.
You can listen to Out of Love now, on all streaming platforms, courtesy of Arts & Crafts Records
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