Galactic: Into The Deep

New Orleans troupe call on their friends to make some indefatigable funk.

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Here’s an album to cleave opinion squarely down the middle.

Galactic’s new guest-smattered release is a cacophony of swinging New Orleans jazz, soulful R&B and low-down and dirty bluesmanship, but within its subtle and supple nuances lies a distinct Marmite taste.

While the brasstastic opener Sugar Doosie is a fiesta of jostling rhythms complementing sassy instrumentation, and the twangy, fuzzed-up Freddie-King-meets-Lenny-Kravitz sounds of Higher And Higher hit the mark fantastically, the success of other tracks depends on your personal taste (Dolla Diva, for instance, strives to capture you with its dense and repetitious backing vocals, which come across as either infectious or irritating).

One thing for sure is that Into The Deep oozes a million fresh yet vintage-tinted ideologies, and even a hater would have to concede that it’s a record full of energy and character.

Phil Weller

You can usually find this Prog scribe writing about the heavier side of the genre, chatting to bands for features and news pieces or introducing you to exciting new bands that deserve your attention. Elsewhere, Phil can be found on stage with progressive metallers Prognosis or behind a camera teaching filmmaking skills to young people.