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Rating:
There are days when deep or complex music shatters your mood. Those when Thom Yorke is the Antichrist, Joy Division is the bubonic plague, and post-rock is a weapon of mass destruction.
It's in those moments that the Brand New Heavies step in: their intriguing blend of funk, soul, pop, and R&B is as harmless as it is pleasant and carefree. The lyrics are simple, the music is easy and catchy yet honest like few things you can find around: it is what it is and has no pretensions it can't afford or desires for stardom. However, do not confuse the lightness of the Brand New Heavies with a symptom of low quality or dullness: behind the project are professional musicians with two decades of experience (Andrew Levy on bass, Simon Bartholomew on guitar, and Jan Kincaid on drums) and a magnificent voice (often changed over the years, in the album in question it is the splendid and talented Nicole Russo); they are fully aware of their intentions: to make music that can uplift and entertain, without weighing down in any way.
"Allaboutthefunk" is a marginal album in their discography, but it fully embodies the description: sparkling, light, and singable. All characteristics perfectly summarized in the lead track and big single "Boogie," a refined little funk piece that for a few months in 2005 was a high-ranking club hit, made almost a post-feminist manifesto by the lyrics and Russo's crystal-clear performance.
The Heavies make room for a declaration of love for music in "Need Some More," the only vaguely "serious" piece (a critique of the music industry) that slows down the dance with a more urban and R&B sound.
They flow pleasantly, managing to be something more than a catchy background with tracks like "Waste My Time", "What Do You Take Me For?", and "How Do You Think", where the vocal prowess of Nicole Russo is once again tested as well as the Heavies' ability to compose melodies straddling pop and funk that remain memorable, with the bass and guitar particularly laying the groundwork for these three songs. In "Surrender", versatility is at its peak: a killer groove, sensual vocals, and Latin and jazz hints in a piece that simply invites relaxation: their ideal calling card.
Less appreciable, however, are the needless cover of Jimmy Cliff’s "Many Rivers To Cross", well interpreted but lacking interesting insights, and the banal "Every Time We Turn It Up" which tries, unsuccessfully, to recall the class of "Never Stop", an old hit from the group. Much better is the frantic ride of "It Could Be Me", a small acid jazz gem that along with "Boogie" represents the album's peak.
A party-like atmosphere is palpable in the closing "How We Do This", whose ghost track is not a simulation of orgasms as it might seem, but an absurd simulation of the CD's birth.
In conclusion, "Allaboutthefunk" is not an encyclopedia of funk. It is a sunny, fun, and unpretentious album that highlights the great skill, passion, and talent of the group. It will be up to posterity to define whether the Brand New Heavies should aspire to something different from music capable of offering instant pleasure, but meanwhile, "Allaboutthefunk" is an enjoyable album suitable for livening up a party without resorting to low-grade dance music.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Boogie (03:52)
Yeah! Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea. YeaYeah
Yeah! Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea. YeaYeah
Stupid boy thought he'd try to run a game
On me while out last night
(said he wanted me, said he couldn't lie,
But I was his first date in a while)
He seemed real cool but I won't
suffer a fool gladly,
Hear what the next girl said to me
in the bathroom.
I got your tune, yeah I know your game,
Your misfortune's I'm about to shame you
Ain't too clever thinking must strain you
Only have yourself to blame
Hey girl to tell you's my duty he just
wants your booty
He's all about the booty.
Yeah!!
Well I just came to boogie I'm all about
The boogie, tonight's ‘bout the boogie;
Yeah! Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea. YeaYeah
Yeah! Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea Yea. YeaYeah
Foolishly he began lying, trying denying
What I'd just found out
(Said he told the truth, said he didn't lie.
He had an alibi)
Right about then came two woman said
They'd been calling on him night and day,
Then they say.
Don't wanna…wanna boogie
Don't care to…wanna boogie,
Coz I don't care bout you…I'm gon boogie.
Don't wanna stop, wanna boogy now.
Don't wanna…wanna boogie. Don't care to…
Wanna boogie.
Don't wanna…wanna boogie. Don't care to…
Wanna boogie
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