This is a test: Turn on the radio to your favorite station. Listen to it for three hours, and count how many times you hear the same song on their rotation. If it was back in the day, you would have only counted the song once, but for some reason, radio feels that listeners like hearing the same songs every hour. In an age where music is becoming homogenized and formulaic, it’s refreshing to hear artists who go against what is considered “popular” and make music that comes from the heart. The Plantlife have done just that on their new album, The Return of Jack Splash.
Even though the pioneer of Funk music— Rick James- has passed away, his influence can definitely be heard on this album along with other artists like Prince, Andre 3000 and Sleepy Brown. Before listening to the album on a lyrical level, I was instantly hooked with the throwback feel of funk music. All 19 tracks are organically made with the sole intention of making you feel good and want to get up and dance.
Standout tracks include infectious love groove, “When she smiles she lights the sky” which is self explanatory in the title’s name. Other tracks like “Got2Get2gether4Luv” and “Beautiful Babies” are also personal favorites. The Plantlife’s The Return of Jack Splash will have anyone shakin’ to the funk beats.
Marcus Washington can be contacted at m.washington2@umiami.edu.