Smokin’ With Superman is another reason why Madison’s music scene is far better than it ever gets credit for.
A righteous and funky ensemble, the six members of the group each contribute to a hip-hop/funk/acid jazz blend that might just, if given the opportunity, conquer the world. On Full Price, the latest slice of this localized chaos, the group is led by M.C. Peter Parker–whose rapping surpasses nearly any expectation that could be unfairly attached to a “merely” local record–and Joy Dragland, whose singing, informed by Dinah and Billie, slides in and out of the band’s horn-heavy groove.
“Beats, Rhymes + Reality” sets the formula down immediately: Parker’s deep and nimble rhyming, Dragland’s sultry vocal glides, swoops and dives and the tight, funky rhythm of the rest of the SWS crew. Parker loads his rhymes with a real understanding of hip-hop truth as it relates to both music and society.
When Dragland answers Parker’s call with the all-too-true response, “you’re never gonna hear it on the radio,” the “reality” part of the title equation becomes all too apparent. It’s too bad, considering the bubbling funk groove that drives the tune seems tailor-made for almost any musical persuasion.
There isn’t a single track on the album that doesn’t sound great–a true testament to producer Brian Daly, who produced the record along with the group. There is nothing cheap or ragged on Full Price and it benefits greatly from this professionalism.
Both Parker and Dragland are featured on tracks that highlight their distinctive gifts. “Morning Sun” is a great display of Dragland’s jazz-based vocal perfection; she is one of those all-too-rare singers whose main concern seems not to be hitting the right notes, but instead hitting the notes right. The fact that she hits all the right notes is merely a bonus. Her soaring lines throughout “Too High” are another example of her subtle power.
On the other tip, “Emancipated” is a Parker showcase and is another powerful and complex look at a people who are “emancipated, but not yet free.” KRS-One couldn’t have said it any better.
Most of the album’s songs find both sides of this mighty duo working together; “Full Price,” for example, alternates between Parker’s rapid-fire flow and Dragland’s near-hypnotic beautiful singing.
And lest I forget the band itself, there is not a track on the record that is not driven along by the virtuosity of the entire ensemble. Horn man Bryan Elliot’s trumpet and saxophone lines are integral parts of the entire record, as is the fatback rhythm keyboardist Mark Siegenthaler, guitar player Shanan Galligan, drummer Mark Heise and bassist Brett Farrey. Although fronted by two such unique and memorable talents, the band’s featured track “2 Sweet Fine Hams” proves their own abilities to be anything but lacking.
The album’s final two tracks are perhaps the best on the record. “His Honor” is a well-deserved tribute to M.C. Parker’s verbal abilities, and also simply a great party track. “Dance MF,” with the “MF” standing for what you’d probably expect, slips into the disco-fied Jamiroquai groove, except it bests Jamiroquai’s derivative slop on nearly every count.
While occasionally dabbling in emotional and thematic intensity (both of which are entirely satisfying), Smokin’ With Superman has also created a great, unique party record, and that is arguably just as important as anything else the group may accomplish.
Smokin’ With Superman plays Friday, March 8 at the Memorial Union, and anybody in the mood for some deep grooves should make haste–there’s no reason not to, especially because it’s free. This album indicates tremendous potential for future success, so a performance at no cost is an opportunity that simply can’t be passed up.
At that performance, SWS is likely to do something like they do on Full Price–namely, slide deep down into a communal groove I sincerely believe could, if given the right set of circumstances, conquer the world.
