Galactic – Ruckus

For its fourth studio album, funk-favorite Galactic says goodbye to its established ’70s-style production, this time calling Dan “The Automator” Nakamura to the boards. There are still plenty of tasty grooves no doubt inspired by that funky decade, but Nakamura brings out a more modern Galactic—one that’s not afraid to replace drummer Stanton Moore’s organic New Orleans beats with a few sampled and electronic ones. The updated sound works well, but vocalist Theryl DeClouet’s crooning and growling is stuck in the past. For this reason, Ruckus’ strongest tracks are those that leave DeClouet out of the mix.