York band Gents and Ginger have got a funk box and they know how to use it! Their recently released album, ‘Githerments In Groove’ showcases their steadfast talent for being as funky as hell. There are a few great instrumental workouts on the album. “Ricke” opens proceedings with an explosion of joy while “Abience For A Kebab Shop Pt II” oozes the style and ability of some of the great funk bands from the past to rock out. I think I prefer the songs here that feature vocals and the first of those to appear is “Turtle”, musically it has the feel of the classic Bowie band from the 1974 American tour. “4 Silly Balls”, what a great title that is, and “Style Control” power on like extended versions of one of the jazzed up interludes that Earth, Wind, and Fire included in their best 70s albums. There is a strong 80s synth-pop vibe in “Those Were The Days” and this gorgeous story song is one of the best on the album. On “Hardware Store” the band gives a very British take on George Clinton. This probably just about shades it as my favourite track on this fine collection.
Gents & Ginger join a club of great artists that have recorded a song about tea, this includes Kacy Musgraves, the Police, Nirvana, the Kinks, and Led Zeppelin to name just a few. The song, “Social Tea”, has some great Steely Dan and Boz Scaggs feeling in it. I was reminded of early Commodores tracks like “Machine Gun” while listening to “Bunk Bed” and “Hi-Vis Activator”. The album closes with the heartbreakingly beautiful “Don’t Delete The Playlist”. This is perfect as a late-night chill-out tune. It would fit perfectly on Angela Griffin’s Radio 2 show. The band explained the album title saying “Githerments is defined as a collection of unmatching things, much like the contents of the album, yet they are all somehow in groove with one another.” It would be hard not to agree with that statement! This is a great album, if I have one minor complaint it would be that at just under 32 minutes it is too short, but it really is a rewarding way to spend 32 minutes of your time!
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