The funky, harmonica-blaring, guitar picking, beat-box connoisseur has hit big again. G. Love releases his new album, “Lemonade”, his second Brushfire label effort to strive on his name without his performance powerful “Special Sauce” crew directly at hand.
Previously, Garret “G. Love” Dutton released “The Hustle,” a rootsy and more bluesy album that echoes the personality of a seasoned and bland folk singer. Disappointment overcame the album due to the lack of G. Love’s expansion on his funky Philly style that debuted well over a decade ago. “The Hustle” unfortunately sacrificed smooth bass lines, quiet jazz insignias, and hard guitar grooves for folksy and introspective lyrics. Yet, it was obvious that in these tracks laid a dormant hip-hop concoction of blues, R&B and funk.
G. Love’s “Lemonade” is the flowering of this rapping
and bopping personality of the braggadocio. The best feature on this album is G. Love’s incorporation of several artists
from an array of different music styles. The featuring and accompanying names on this track list leave no room for
purchasing hesitation.
The irresistible bass and groove of the track “Banger” brings in Quannum Projects geniuses Blackalicious and Lateef the Truth Speaker. The presence of these expert underground hip-hop stars gives authenticity to the bouncing beat, laced with G. Love’s harmonica whine and dangerously layered sounds.
Dirty new-age bluesman Marc Broussard steps into the song “Let the Music Play” to create a gospel-infused southern sounds with strong tight drum beats and a psychedelic guitar riff, layered atop G. Love’s unique acoustic guitar rhythm. The duo creates an almost haunting R&B rhythm infused with harrowing and soulful lyrics alluding the light and joy of music.
While the more hip-hop oriented tracks on this album are catchy and fun, they appear out of place when positioned in a G. Love performance. The overuse of synthetic sounds and turntable beats leaves no room for the three-piece jazz-funk band to improvise and jam, a well-known past time of the G. Love crew. With all this blues, soul and folk, it almost seems G. Love has forgotten how to rock; yet, the Philly sound once epitomized on “The Electric Mile” and “Philadelphonic” is definitely still here. “Can’t Go Back to Jersey”, “Hot Cookin’” and “Ain’t That Right” are hard-hitting funk tracks that sound like classic Special Sauce compositions. These songs make this album performance playable and pleasing.
G. Love’s performances are well known throughout the entire United States, yet Brushfire labelmate Jack Johnson has lately received more acclaim for his simple songwriting and repetitive, extremely familiar shows. Unlike some of his contemporaries, G. Love brings a type of East Coast magic to the stage. His ad-lib lyrics, styling harmonica solos and sensationally improvisational band create a hook for lovers of all genres. Soulful and bluesy tracks create emotional devotion to G. Love’s warm-hearted words and maudlin melodies. The songs “Free at Last” and “Rodeo Clowns” reveal his robustness to amaze an audience with short, simplistic, infamous songs. G. Love also holds no bar on jamming with songs like “My Baby’s Got Sauce” and “Kick Drum” which tend to run well-over requested radio play limits, and test the talents of every member on stage.
Fellow “Lemonade” collaborator Marc Broussard will be joining G. Love on his latest national tour. If unfamiliar with the magic and musical generosity of a G. Love show, be sure to check out the group on September 27 for their only Oregon show, at Eugene’s McDonald Theatre. Tickets are $18.50 in advance and $20 at the door, and are available through any TicketsWest location.