Written by Jeff Modzelewski
Fusion powerhouses The Big Black Galactic just released their second album, and this one is another top-notch effort from this Ohio band. The primarily instrumental band has expanded their sound to include some very soul/funk jams, but they’re not afraid to move into heavier grooves. The opening track, “When Darby Skates,” has this clearly on display. They do a great job of putting together very well-arranged tracks that go in many different directions. The stops and starts, time and tempo changes, and jazzy movements never seem out of place and keep the listener engaged throughout the album. “Schmetterling Metamorphose” includes a great rise and guitar solo near the end, and “Select Your Racer” starts off slow but leads into some excellent jams and some particularly solid drum work. The talent in the band is on display throughout the album, but it’s nice to see individuals get opportunities to step out to the front.
“Flarmpletrazz” is the funkiest number on the album, a fast-paced groovy jam, starting out with some great riffing between the members. Midway through the tune they dive into some spacy jazz before bringing it back to a variation on the original riff. As with their debut, there’s only one non-instrumental track on the record, the closing “Friends.” This is a band with some significant vocal talent, and it’s nice that they’re putting it to use at least a little bit. “Friends” is a fast paced, funny, and eccentric ride of a song. They’ve been playing this one live for a long time, and I was pretty unsure on how it would translate to an album, but they put it together nicely.
The Big Black Galactic have tremendous talent and are excellent songwriters. They also have a wide range of influences, some obvious and some under the surface, but everything that they do sounds original and unique. After taking a good chunk of 2017 off from playing shows I’m expecting to see these guys hitting the road quite a bit leading into next year. If they come to your town see them. If they don’t, talk to your local venue and get them booked.
