Summer reared her ugly head in Nashville for a few days this week, rudely interrupting my beloved hoodie season weather. The weather appears to be ready to right its wrong in the days ahead by returning highs to the sixties and low seventies. With such beautiful days ahead of us, it’s very important to have some great new music for your trip to the pumpkin patch and haunted trail ride. This week, a funk legend and a New York City sibling duo bring you some of the highlighted albums of the week.
Bootsy Collins The Power of One
One thing that 2020 has not been is funky. It has been an extremely difficult year to navigate for everyone in the world and we all have been looking for a reason to let our hair down and party. That reason to party is here and it comes in the form of the legendary Funkateer known as Bootsy Collins.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has enlisted a long list of collaborators for his new release, The Power of One, including Snoop Dogg, for Prince and Sly and the Family Stone bassist Larry Graham, saxophonist Branford Marsalis and even activist Dr. Cornel West. Bootsy began recording the album before the pandemic hit and then had to retreat to his home-recording studio he dubbed “Boot-Cave Studios” to finish the record remotely. He credits having rough cuts of the album’s 16 songs as a saving grace to being able to complete the record.
Collins uses the philosophy of unity to describe the message behind the new album. “The Power of the One is what pulls us through,” he says. “Everyone has “The One” inside of them. You never know who is using you for guidance, so always be pure and never fake the funk.”
Bootsy Collins turns 69 on Monday and is celebrating his birthday and the release of The Power of One with ‘Galactic Birthday Bash” October 23 and you can join him by visiting www.thebootcave.com. Tickets are only $10 and comes with a digital download of the new album. @Bootsy_Collins
Lawrence The Live Album (Part 1)
What do you get when a bunch of students from Brown form a band that includes a brother-sister duo where the brother just happens to be the youngest member of the Songwriters Guild of America? You get an 8-piece soul-pop band that has released a live album showing off their undeniable talents.
Clyde Lawrence, brother to band member Gracie Lawrence, first came to be known for his writing of the Miss United States pageant song in Miss Congeniality that William Shatner sang so eloquently at the ripe old age of 5. Gracie and Clyde have created music together since childhood released two other albums under the Lawrence name. The new live album consists of songs from the two albums plus a tremendous cover of the classic “Que Sera, Sera” and a new song originally only available to be heard at their live shows. That song, “Freckles,” is a fun upbeat track that explores the insecurities we all suffer from and the importance of moving ahead despite them.
The female empowering “Make A Move,” which is one of the best songs the band has recorded to date, is a great vehicle for showing off Gracie’s stage presence. Gracie truly shines during the number as well in the aforementioned “Freckles.” The duo’s harmonies are put on display during “Superficial.” The track also serves as testimony to how tight the band works together. The band’s horn section operates like a well-oiled machine on stage.
Lawrence can bounce from genre to genre without ever comprising any member of the band as the flow from on to the other without missing a beat. The Jackson 5 inspired “Me & You” is a catchy number that the listener would have difficulty not wanting to dance to. The band smoothly transitions from “Me & You” in to the jazzy “Try” from their 2018 release Living Room. The album wraps up nicely with the energetic “Freckles” leaving you craving for the pandemic to end so music venues can reopen, and you can rush to see the band live. @lawrencetheband
Be sure to give these other amazing albums a listen…….
- Melody Gardot Sunset In The Blue
- Bruce Springsteen Letter To You
- Ty Dolla $ign Featuring Ty Dolla $ign
- Gorillaz Song Machine, Season One: Strange Times
- Local Natives Sour Lemon- EP
Steven McCash is the Music Columnist for SoBros Network. He is the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music, in addition to the occasional live show review. Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75
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