Analog Son - Stomp and Shout (2015)

Last summer, Analog Son released one of the strongest debut albums I’ve heard in quite some time. Guitarist Jordan Linit and bassist Josh Fairman composed the tracks and enlisted 18 musicians – ranging from nationally recognized to locally cherished – to imbue the songs with a euphonious blend of fusion and funk. Attempting to match a feat of such dynamism is not an enviable task, but Analog Son’s follow up record, Stomp and Shout, did just that. The concinnity of the band’s arrangements was, in fact, demonstrably tighter than its eponymously titled debut. Linit and Fairman adapted between seven and 14 instruments per track into a series of polished, yet visceral songs. And if you’re more of a jamband aficionado than a member of the funk-o-sphere, I know the word “polished” may elicit negative connotations (i.e. most Grateful Dead studio albums). Vanquish that thought and replace it with the following; Stomp and Shout is an absolute gem. Like Analog Son, it boasts an incredible lineup of 25 guest musicians coming together to create one powerful sphere of sonic beauty. Linit and Fairman are both the axis on which it spins and the orbital path which it follows.

In all likelihood, I doubt “guest musicians” is the germane phrase to describe the contributing efforts on this album. It smacks, at least to me, of opportunism or commercialism. It seems like every other hip-hop, pop, or country video these days says Iggy Azalea Ft. Someone Actually Talented or 2 Chainz Feat. Someone More Physically Palatable. With Linit and Fairman, “collaborators” is a far more apropos term in some instances – and “longtime friends” in others. There’s even a pianist whose moniker could be “mentor extraordinaire”. So I’m fashioning a new blanket term for everyone else who played on Stomp and Shout: funk friends. In all, 12 funk friends who worked on Analog Son returned to assist with the new album and 13 more, including Benzel Baltimore (P-Funk) and Nigel Hall (Lettuce), came aboard for their maiden voyage.