Red Beard Funk Circus, four Dutch guys and American crammed a wealth of genres into their self-titled debut EP, recorded in just one day in their hometown Zwolle.
Basically a blues rock band they squeezed in funk and rap with mixed results. The quintet feels at ease when they can let rip in the harmonica-driven stomper Down to the Water. The prog-rock show-stopper Let the LOVE Rise has a sweet sax solo that brings back the art rock of Roxy Music, spiced up with a bit of The Tubes playing in garage. The token ballad Desert Rose is unremarkable, or like Douglas Adams once said, mostly harmless. The EP's closer Rap Thang with it's cheesy old school synths and Eighties hip-hop vibe is a bit of novelty, with lead singer Joe Venegas failing to reach the high notes.
The Red Beard Funk Circus EP is a warts-and-all debut. Plenty of good ideas and ambition galore. These guys can play, but they should spend more time (and money) on the next one to tighten things up a bit.
Red Beard Funk Circus:
Wietse Boersma: drums
Gerjan Nijman: bass
Rick Slagers: harmonica, sax
Joe Venegas: guitar, vocals
Niels Verwegen: piano, organ, keys
Red Beard Funk Circus is a self-released EP. Buy it from their website.
Tracks:- Down to the Water
- Let the LOVE Rise
- Desert Rose
- Rap Thang
- 09/11 Zwolle, Netherlands @ Jacks Music Bar (EP release party)