Lettuce - Crush [LP]

'CRUSH' - The fourth studio album by Lettuce, released originally on November 6th, 2015 via Lettuce Records.  "CRUSH takes off where Rage! And Fly left off. We continue our journey of the Funk universe playing through many styles, including Phychadellia, Classic Soul, and Hip Hop. While still paying tribute to the past, this album clearly is pushing boundaries and has us heading into the Future." - Adam "Shmeeans" Smirnoff  Right out of the gate, Crush begins with an awesomely ostentatious opening. Much like the tuba-headed pachyderm on the album cover, the album's first song, "The Force" is larger-than-life and mysteriously funky! It is followed by the Herbie Hancock-esque second song, "Get Greasy", which is as funky as funk can be. Pleasantly reminiscent of Hancock's "Chameleon", this track is just what the doctor ordered if you're looking for foot-stomping funk and tasty, tight percussion.  "Phyllis", one of their most streamed songs of all time, comes in the middle of the album. Clocking in just shy of seven minutes, this spectacular musical voyage hypnotizes the listener with it's cosmic, spaced out sound as it gradually rises in intensity, eventually bursting into a jazzy and energetic pinnacle. Songs like "He Made A Woman Out Of Me" and "Sounds Like A Party" feature the only vocals on this predominantly instrumental jam record. The latter is easily one of the brightest and most-fun tracks on the album. The stuttering attack of bass and drums creeps along with a spellbinding groove in "Trillogy", while tunes like "Pocket Change", "The New Reel" and "The Lobbyist" sound like they could easily score a 1970's heist film.  From the organ's moan on the upbeat third track "Chief", to the Funkadelic-inspired rough edge of "Silverdome", this fourth record from Lettuce, from start to finish, could collectively be some of the best material the band has turned out in their 20-plus year career. If you're looking for a party, look no further! Crush has all the ingredients necessary for a good time. Just push play!