Customer Reviews

Return of Jack Splash

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I picked this up having never heard of the group and based only on the other artists names that were on the promotional sticker on the cover.
In the past I have been dissapointed when buying "blind", but this time around I was totally knocked back. This is a really dope record!
Coming off like a band but only actually consisting of a beat maker/programmer (Panda One) and a crooner/rapper (Jack Splash), they absolutely kill it on this one.
Take Prince, Outkast, Little Beaver and assorted electronica, add weed, Jack Daniels and stick to tales about partying, girls and general shenanigans...boom, Plant Life.
For a unique and refreshing listen that is based in hip-hop but lets loose on influences from the world of music, you just have to check this record! Please!
Probably one of the best records from out of nowhere that I have heard in quite a few years.

Since I've been starving for original, innovative music for a long time now, I'm willing to give almost anyone a chance if I think they're attempting to break the mold or think outside the box. When I started reading about Plant Life and heard all the comments and reviews comparing them to Funkadelic, Sly, Prince and Outkast, I figured they were worth a shot in the dark.

Unfortunately, this disk is not the funk bomb I'd been anticipating. It started good but got slower and more boring with each track. The lead singer has an obnoxious voice and the grooves sound canned and prefab instead of organic or soulful. I give it three stars because their hearts seem to be in the right place and they're at least trying to be different. But the biggest problem is the whole album indeed sounds as if they're *trying* to be funky instead of just going ahead and being funky. There's a self-conciousness about the music that robs it of a lot of it's kick.

After listening to it I got frustrated and spent the rest of the night listening to some actual classic funk and soul music. Perhaps one day we will really get a group that succeeds in reviving the sounds and attitudes of the old masters. Plant Life is on the right track but still misses the target with this effort. Perhaps they'll get it right next time.

I mean, the grooves are straight outta the R&B/funk book...and I mean that in the best way.

The big problem is the length...too long. But the artists of today all want to use up every byte of the CD format, so we end up with 17-21 tracks on an album. Back in the heyday of funk, they would be double albums or two seperate releases. They should take a hint from Prince. He could do double length CD's till he got bored. But he doesn't.

But still, great stuff and true to the formula made famous by AWB, EW&F, Gamble and Huff, P-Funk, etc. Always good to hear. If you liked The Love Below, you will like this. Panda One is one HECK of a producer.

This kind of hiphop, or should I say funk, was widely introduced to public by Outkast. That's why, it's often reffered as "the outkast style". Well anyways, Plant Life is about the same. Even the lead singer sounds a lot like Andre 3000. But Plant Life is a lot more underground. Their album is fun and deep in the same time, it has those love songs but also some tracks for the floors. Its been hyped by Pharell, Gilles Peterson and Mos Def amongst others. And it's well worth it.
Now I actually call it funk. Because it is funk all the way. The new way of funk, influenced by rock, jazz, hiphop and soul.

AWWWWWWWWWW. Music I am able to appreciate right off the bat. I was moving and grooving from beginning to end. Inspiring and Refreshing! Real music ain't dead. My favorite cuts are Appreciate, We Can Get High, Bottle of Hope, and If I was Your Man. Welcome Back Jack Splash. May the funk rise and be with you.

This cd has great lyrics and great beats. Plant Life rhymes are very smart. If they keep working hard like this,the group will live up to the hype.