Eric Taylor (vocals), David Rothman (guitar), Joseph Wood (drums) and Ben Trajtenberg (bass) are Cosmic Romp. The four-piece band are basically the definition of a party band. They blend elements of hip-hop, funk, jazz and rock on their recent release Alien Funk.
They open with the title track which is indicative of what else you can expect. The vocals during the verse are for the most part rapping and reminded me of what jams bands would try to pull off when I used to go see them live in college about twenty years ago. In fact the lyrics are even similar. “Blaster” is a mix between funk and Rage Against the Machine. A formula starts to rise. There is the rapping that at the very least feels like it is trying to be “cool” and “slick” perhaps a bit too much and the chorus which contains the hook. “Space Horse” was a personal favorite. The song felt less derivative with influence and the chorus in particular felt original and catchy. Good song. “Tasty,” “Bandanna Jam,” and “Say Hello to the Bad Guy” had their moments but it was the James Brown inspired “Get Down” which was the other highlight. Bands like Cosmic Romp in my experience have been playing predominately college campuses (as well as other places) for a long time. This is a distinct style and the hybrid sort of rapping thing in particular is so on the nose that it was almost nostalgic for me. I have to admit this type of music is usually best served live and think it's hard to argue otherwise. It’s for the most part for a younger audience that wants to have a good time and drink beer. Suffice it to say this album is the next best thing to being there.
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