Galactic - From The Corner To The Block

As pointed out previously, the fusion of two artists is sometimes a touchy task to pull off well. On the other hand, the marriage of various genres all too often loses something when melded into one. The New Orleans band Galactic proves this stereotype wrong in many ways. This fact is especially true on their newest album From The Corner To The Block (Aug. 2007). One of the best ways to describe Galactic is by saying they incorporate elements of funk, jazz, hip hop, and rock. In addition, they can jam with the best of them.

On From The Corner To The Block the instrumental sextet gather guests artists ranging from Chali 2na (Jurassic 5), Mr. Lif, Gift of Gab, Boots Riley (The Coup), and Lyrics Born. Each of these artists takes a turn with the band. Galactic is a tight sounding band with enough horns to fill a smokey jazz club and funky bass to make George Clinton happy at the same time. The whole album sees the band at it's tightest without missing a beat. It's a funk/hip-hop album that makes the case for itself to be seen live rather than through blind speakers. Surely, Galactic sound infinitely better live since they actually come from a performance background. The guests MCs do a masterful job blending their lyrical prowess with that of the band. Some tracks are standouts while others kind of struggle to find their way. There are also a couple instrumental jams thrown in to reassure older fans of Galactic that they haven't totally changed their stripes. At their zenith, some songs surpass The Roots best offerings, while others need some more polish.