Post by jptheprofessor on Oct 1, 2007 16:09:26 GMT -5
REAL BE EASYS - LOST PARADISE (no label) Get the funk out! That’s what the New York City-based trio Real Be Easys do on their scorching debut CD, Lost Paradise. Singer/guitarist Evan Jaffee, bassist Paul Testagrossa and drummer Zachary Thomas (since replaced by California Leighton) deliver hard-driving funky rock and rocking funk over the disc’s ten tracks. Their sound brings to mind a younger and hungrier Red Hot Chili Peppers, with a tip of the hat to 70’s-era funksters like Kool & the Gang and the Ohio Players. All three musicians craft tight, edgy, infectious grooves that never stay in one place for long; there’s ample instrumental nip-and-tuck to keep things continually interesting. This backdrop provides the launching pad for Evan’s sassy, raspy vocals; he has the gift of gab, and isn’t afraid to apply it to the group’s often poetic and psychedelic-leaning lyrics. This album sizzles from the get-go; laying down the ground rules on the funk-rock collision “Defunkt,” displaying a heftier swagger on “Maniac,” and laying down the razzle-dazzle with the especially infectious and playful “Ipso Facto.” The album continues the spicy grooves with “Pop Bottles,” “Bullet” and “On the Road,” before showing a slightly darker persona on “Life with My Knife.” Real Be Easys show their acoustic side on “Jam On,” before finishing with a pair of live tracks, “High Beams” and “Rick Rubin,” recorded last September at The Hook in Brooklyn. The disc also includes a lengthy bonus track jam interlude that further demonstrates the group’s freewheeling instrumental experimentation. The overall sound of Lost Paradise is sharp and raw, with occasional vocal effects, touches of reverb and spacey atmospherics along the way. Real Be Easy’s energy, playfulness and swagger make Lost Paradise a rousing, fun listen; its spicy grooves are ‘real be easy’ to enjoy! (The CD can be obtained by visiting Real Be Easys’ Myspace website, www.myspace.com/RealBeEasys.)