By Odeisel
Dinner At The Thompson’s mixes New York, Los Angeles and France together with influences that range from Erykah Badu and J.Dilla to Mark Ronson and Portishead. Their latest album, Off The Grid, attempts to connect all of these disparate elements into a cohesive and funky package. At times, there are too many moving parts, like watching one of those Wile E Coyote traps with all their intricacies that fail to catch the Roadrunner. Other times, the ingredients form a well-oiled machine.
Singer Lucille Tee’s sassy delivery is tempered by a smokey, rangy voice that jumps from strawberry-smooth to burlap-coarse at the drop of a hat, while producer Fablive treats sounds like a child who got too much for Christmas. The result is a G.I. Joe Man on the back of Battle Cat while He-Man is steering his tank. On a track like “Levitating” the random vocal samples throw off the continuity of the track. The track immediately following it “Rise Up” has so much going on sonically that if you are on a computer you’ll be searching for open widows to see if something else is playing.
“Spirulina Queen” flaunts that Brand New Heavies organic soul vibe. Tee’s voice lacks the depth of soul to really own that beat but she handles it well. Low, distorted keys and a harmonica color themes of universal dissonance on “Just A Dream.”
The up-tempo “Different Things” is exactly the opposite with its groove-driven business echoing the sunshine rhythms of and the 70’s. The brass and rumbling drums sit atop the groove track, which is pure fun, even with themes of mental revolution weaving throughout. The slow, unseemly “Whatever It Takes” is fine as Lucille plays emcee in that Blondie hipster way; it’s not enough to confuse her with a master but enough to give her dap.
Soft acoustic guitar licks hoist a hand-clapping , maraca moist “I Can Do Anything.” Compared to the balance of the album, the track has a subdued, minimalist elegance that allows us to enjoy the sweetness of tee’s voice. 70’s cop drama is conjured for the aptly titled “Running,” as Afro-Cuban drum/horn foundations share the screen with sharp string work. The only thing missing is Huggy Bear groveling to Starsky & Hutch.
“Western Spaghetti” pays homage to the same movies that inspired Rome. The layered, French femme vocals add a sultry appeal that lays the groundwork for Lucille to finesse the track, with light echoes of soft background vocals adding to the sexiness. Guilty Simpson guests on “Rice’N Beans,” throwing a hard curveball into the mix. The ad libs are set off-beat, making it hard to figure out when the verse comes in, but Simpson jumps on. The song is wholly off-kilter and works in some places but confuses in others.
Distortion powers “This Day Called Hope” and drowns out some of the more subtle elements of production. A few measures in, a synthy bass line is brought in, again giving the feel of multiple records played at the same time and not blended in phase with the rest of the record. The extra elements make you wonder how the song would have gone had Fablive chosen those parts to feature. The album closes with the decidedly Badu-inspired, slow burning “You Are Love.” The record’s snail-slow pace is a simmering release to all the high energy stuff on the album. Psst there’s a hidden track.
Off the Grid is a fun album that never allows you to settle in and get comfortable with its rhythm. It is sonically inventive, if not always smooth and serves multiple masters in creating a work that allows you to let yourself go. If you like your rhythm in a box, this ain’t for you.
3.25 Out of 5
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