I need to find out who designs Griz’s album covers because every single one has been stunning.
Go ahead, say it…we’re all thinking it. For a blog entitled “The Funk Yard” there have been virtually no reviews of funk music. That all changes today, however, with the new album from Detroit’s sax playing messiah Griz. Say It Loud is not only the funkiest album I’ve heard in the past year, as far as electronic music goes, it is the also the most human.
With this release Griz set out to do something he has never done before, create an album featuring a variety of live musicians that he would record himself. From school house choirs to psychedelic guitars, every song on this album is sprinkled with an element of organic soul to differentiate itself from the synthetic track that surrounds it.
This isn’t to say, however, that Griz’s sounds are dry or boring. In fact, the few times that the producer decides to arrange a fully electronic drop are often the highlights of the song. Take for instance the album’s lead single “A Fine Way to Die (Feat. Orlando Napier)”. The near seven minute track is filled to the brim with classy trumpets, punchy drums and amazingly soulful vocals. For the first 2/3s of the tracks this and an underlying sub bass are all we hear, but the moment that distinctive Griz bass takes center stage the tune becomes even more of a dance floor anthem than it already was.
But perhaps more impressive than Griz’s sound design abilities are his arrangements. Besides its captivating bassline grooves, what makes funk sooooo good is its ability to be repetitive, but still able keep you on your toes and forever guessing what elements the band (or in this case producer) is going to implement next. This is best shown in my favorite song off the album, the definitively titled “Get Down (ft. Sunsquabi & Maniac Focus)”. While maintaining a consistent groove Griz alternates between employing organs, 80’s pop synths, delicious electric guitars and his signature sax to make sure the song never gets stale.
All these elements are tied so beautifully together by Griz’s top notch mixing skills. With sounds coming from all these different places, recorded in all these different environments, it must have been incredibly difficult for the producer to get them to all fit together. Although, Griz’s mixing abilities have never really been in question. Even with Mad Liberation, his first offering to the world in 2012, his songs were sounding as crisp as a perfectly baked apple pie. But alas, even the pros aren’t perfect and they sometimes make mistakes. With this album, the biggest thing that stands out is how soft and far back in the mix Talib Kweli sounds during his verse on “For The Love”, and how the album’s closer “Turnin’ (Feat. Orlando Napier)” ends kind of abruptly.
In the grand scheme of things, however, these flaws are easy to overlook. The album as a whole is hands down the best, most original and CERTAINLY most funky album that this Detroit native has put out so far. Considering his first album came out just a few years ago, it’s amazing to see just how far he has come. With skills like this, career longevity is ensured and I cannot wait to see what he does with the rest of it. Download Say It Loud for free by visiting http://www.mynameisgriz.com.
The Funk Yard 