The Greyboy Allstars deal out healthy slabs of retro-funk, tempered with a cleanliness of production that leaves no note out of place (nor too venturesome). Fans expecting a rowdier outing after the band's ten-year hiatus will be disappointed by the many forgettable instrumentals that lope along on the blurry edge of lethargy ("Still Waiting," "Back in the Game," and the title track), but the upshot is that such ephemeral fare allows the tracks sandwiched in between to stand out like hits. The album is at its strongest when, as in opener "V Neck Sweater," song structures unfold in teasing succession, one instrument revealing and then concealing a riff that only later enjoys complete exposure when the full band finally digs in. Guest vocals by Inara George and the Living Sisters help the cause, as in lead single "How Glad I Am" (made famous by Aretha Franklin and others). Despite a number of unsuccessful attempts, Karl Denson's flute finally gets the supporting instrumental it deserves in "Old School Cylons," and moments like these blanch the efforts of contemporaries trying to create a similar throwback with samples, leaving the Greyboy Allstars' live instruments with an unshakable upper hand. --Jason Kirk
