Released November 7, 2017
5 / 10
Favorites
Baby I Don't Know Oh Oh (feat. Charles Jones), Tee Time
Least favorites
Business Casual (feat. Coco O.), Captain Hook (feat. Baby Theo, Bootsy Collins & Mushy Kay)
"Mr Finish Line", from funk band Vulfpeck, is slightly schizophrenic, acting out on tracks on which no intimidating collaborators appear and behaving when in their presence. As a matter of fact, some of the best soul and R'n'B session musicians are invited on the album, like David T. Walker or James Gadson; the first of which played guitar for Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gayes, The Jackson 5 and Quincy Jones among other and the second of which being one the most-recorded drummers in the history of motown and R'n'B. The tracks they're on are some of the more tame - and also, honestly, more meh - as Vulfpeck are not groovy enough when they ought to be. "Mr Finish Line" is not that memorable and the only way it will move you, if at all, is by making you gently sway to a melody you'll probably forget in a matter of minutes. If you know Vulfpeck, you know they're a playful bunch. There's just something about their sense of humor that doesn't resonate with everyone - and by everyone I mean me, but that seemed too egocentric to type a couple of seconds ago; I got over that feeling real quick as you see. Title track, Mr. Finish Line transcribes a recipe on how to achieve your full potential; obviously not taking itself seriously at all. It's cheeky and quirky, yet it loses the little flair it has by morphing in short-lived anthemic passages I'd expect from Cee-Lo Green, not Vulfpeck. Then it goes into a parodic sport commentary about the band members that feels like a big private joke I'm not privy to. Riding on a similar beachy vibe, Business Casual has Jackson 5 written all over it. Also similarly, it has a cheesy bridge - for which the band seemed to want to compensate by overloading the music with slightly chaotic synths afterwards. Lyrics are non-sensical and too silly for someone not in the right mood - Coco brags about having a "PhD" at some point, wanting to steal from Steve Jobs, claiming she wants to keep "it" (what?) fun while at the same time reminding us of the centuries-old adage that love is a mountain. Most silly of all is Captain Hook featuring stratospheric levels of cringe on the first listen. I just don't get the baby voice; it makes it so much more difficult to focus on the music and try to enjoy it. More tragic is the fact that this song is all about fun lyrical twists and puns - starting with its title. One listen should be all it takes to get the lyrical quirks and move on. A lot of "Mr Finish Line" feels too restrained for its own good. Instruments are often muffled and merge into a shapeless mass. Opener Birds of a Feather, We Rock Together is a smooth bluesy introduction to the album but it sounds way too much like a stripped version of a more complete sound. The bass complements the warm falsetto with richer tones but the track is too uneventful to be effective in my opinion. Running Away gets old real fast after the first chorus - which actually lands quite nicely with the trailing 'oh oh oh'. A shame that they made a soulful track a tad soulless. On the opposite side of the spectrum Baby I Don't Know Oh Oh is built on arrangements that air out the melody quite decidedly, counting on the vocal - and at some point, a sax solo - to tie everything together. It refreshes its take on the chorus with nice falsetto at the end and the feel of a jazz vocal improv that gives the 'live' feeling of Birds of a Feather, We Rock Together. Overall, it's a solid track but I worry that it stands out more on account of lackluster sisters than on account of its own merit. The highlight of "Mr Finish Line" is energizedTee Time. This full-on instrumental is the only track that'll get you tapping your foot frenetically to a disco groove and impressive dexterity at the keys. Much of the song feels like a race between the piano player and the relentless drums. It keeps the listener on the toes as one or the other takes the lead at different times, gives in, then comes back. It doesn't quite make up for the bulk of the album; with all the great music out there, meh just won't do it anymore.
Favorite lyrics
"There's no need to steal from Marvin Gaye (no!) When the hottest hooks are public domain"
Captain Hook
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