The Toronto based singer/songwriter/guitar player, Alfie Jurvanan, also known as Bahamas goes down a smooth, funky road on his fourth album, Earthtones.
Bahamas shows how his hired gun skills balance off against his song writing talents on this alternative soul recording. It has the character of a new take on an old sound but is actually just moving the form along, rather than revisiting and updating sounds from the past. Having a sound in focus clears up priorities and hones in on ideas, arrangements and production.
Alone announces Earthtones as an alt-funk hit – a stark pulsing sound full of soulful intrigue. The song is spilling over with Soultrain-style vocals and layered funk. Not bad for an opener. Everything to Everyone and Bad Boys Need Love Too establishes Earthtones as an alternative soul album and Bahamas’ roots as an independent muso gives the music a sense of imminent surprise and open terrain.
Earthtones is about the smooth and the album delivers on its name. It exceeds that as well and proves that sounding smooth doesn’t have to equate to pedestrian slickness (No Depression). Earthtones is an inspiring recording for those who feel drawn to funky sounds but are put off by technical arrangements and precise delivery. Tracks like Show Me Naomi are eye opening songs, a modern rendering of funk and alternative pop rock. The off kilter chord shapes and semi slacker vocals works in a cozy funk sound that mates unshackled alternative pop rock production style and funk rock free form spirit (No Expectations).
Bahamas gets free with his funk.
–Dean Gordon-Smith is a Vernon-based musician who reviews the latest music releases in his column, Street Sounds, every Friday.