The Exciting Sounds of Menahan Street Band

This 2021 set from ensemble cinematic funksters the Menahan Street Band presents another collection of expertly realised vintage-soul and soundtrack funk instrumentals. Their music is post-retro, pushing past simple funk pastiche into the thematic arena, blending soul licks and funk rhythms with the tension and drama of 70s cop shows and Blaxploitation soundtracks, along with the smoother instrumentation of lounge/library music. Like their previous work, it’s all expertly played and produced with an authentic live feel, and they switch from languid Latin-ish grooves to streetwise funk, to reverential soul and tripped-out film themes with ease. Only five of the eleven tracks clock in over three minutes, making for an album that’s constantly serving up fresh melodic ideas and moods as well as some genuinely tender musical moments too.