SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS : "DAP DIPPIN' WITH..."....A couple months back, when I first began this endeavor, I waxed lyrically about the 3-4 tracks I'd downloaded from SHARON JONES AND THE DAP KINGS, and how you really ought to check out this new 70s soul powerhouse who just happened to be a young 2003 band. So I bought the CD, and now that I've spun it a few times I'm going to throw a few caveats out there. First, it ain't all that, naw what I'm sayin? It is good, solid, hardcore JAMES BROWN-style tribute funk -- and I do mean tribute, from the opening fake-live introduction to the screaming horn section to the overall idolatry of the main player (Ms. Jones). And she's truly got a great voice, and the Dap Kings are absolutely a super-tight and dead-on band. But that's about it -- other than their ability to cop this stuff note for note and generate that help-me-I'm-sweatin'-to-death vibe, there's not a lot of there there. The songs just don't stick to my ribs the way I'd like them to. I do like the hidden instrumental track that comes on about 15 minutes after the rest of the CD has ended -- always a good trick, and one that earns them some nice style points from Agony Shorthand. Proceed with skepticism is all I'm saying; this stuff is definitely not BAD.

posted by Jay H. at 4:14 PM