On their ninth effort, the Texas-based Kevin Russell-led swamp funk band Shinyribs manage to stretch beyond their well-deserved party band reputation thanks to help from producer/Los lobos band member Steve Berlin. The result, while not always even, finds the band maturing into a genuinely impressive group worthy of the constant comparisons to their influences like Leon Russell and Dr. John.
On Transit Damage, Russell and his crew with the help of Berlin, whittled down about three dozen songs to eleven. The music is tighter and the horns just as impressive as the songs seem a little more focused and at times serious. One of the record’s first singles, “Dark Clouds,” is a sublime mix of R&B, Gospel and light funk focusing on the main character leaving a stormy past, for a brighter future. Russell’s normal boisterous vocals are a little more subdued than fans are used to, but it works well here to emphasize the gravity of the subject and ultimately makes for a powerful statement. There are very few weak spots on the album, though “All The Best Things,” seems a little out of place here musically, with Russell singing over a forced Disco grove.
That’s not to say the band has done a complete 180. “Alphabeta” is dripping with funk and easily one of the band’s best songs in years. The same can be said about the album opener “Simply Belong To You” and “La Folie de I’Humanite”.
Transit Damage is bound to take some getting used to for some fans who have learned to rely on the band’s Mardi Gras worthy jams, but there are enough of those here to keep the listeners coming back enough times for the slower material to start to grow on them. The title track, for example, is much mellower than you’d expect from a Shinyribs’ tune but also happens to be one of the best tracks on the record, the same for the album closer “Kind,” a sweet coda to an unexpected record that gets better with each listen.
