THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND
Sinkane and Eric Slick, The Social, April 23
This bill is the case of a couple seasoned and well-credentialed ensemble guys who are ready to emerge on their own, and both were making Orlando debuts.
Sinkane, the vehicle for New York-based musician Ahmed Gallab, has actually been at it for quite a while. Besides releasing as Sinkane since 2007, Gallab is the leader of the star-studded William Onyeabor tribute act the Atomic Bomb! Band and has been a session player for indie heavyweights like Of Montreal, Yeasayer and Caribou. But his latest album, Life and Livin’ It, is an extraordinary sharpening of vision and one of this year’s best releases.
Sinkane’s music has long been a wildly pan-genre thing. But lately, it’s dialed in to a deep, rich brew of Afrobeat, soul, blues, desert blues, funk, psych and pop. Though that still sounds like a lot, it’s all synthesized so well and executed with such élan that it’s a seamless machine of velvet and groove.
On stage, his lush six-piece ensemble – all of whom contributed vocals – took creamy ‘70s language and an unmistakably African pulse and gave it all a modern indie thrust that had the room moving and swooning by set’s end. If any work could break Sinkane to the next level, Life and Livin’ It is it.
The claim to fame for opener Eric Slick is as a member of Dr. Dog. He, however, is now stepping to the fore for himself with a debut solo LP (Palisades) that released just two days before this show. And clearly, the drummer’s own musical dreams are in full color and dimension. The fact that it all bears little resemblance to Dr. Dog shouldn’t be a concern to anyone but hippies. Far less loopy than that band, Slick’s own music is interesting, prismatic and good.
His disarming blend of musing indie rock and psych-pop camouflages the onset of frequent sonic swells of texture and muscle, an aspect that was punctuated by a strong, affable performance by his very finished live band. With a start like this, the guy usually behind the kit is already making a good case for leading man.
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This Little Underground is Orlando Weekly’s music column providing perspective, live reviews and news on the city’s music scene.
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Email Bao: baolehuu@orlandoweekly.com
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This article appears in Apr 19-25, 2017.
