SHAWN LEE: SYNTHESIZERS IN SPACE

GENRE | MOON FUNK
VERDICT | SHAFT IN SPACE
LABEL | ESL MUSIC
RELEASE | 7.24.12

A ‘70s relic that seems to only get better with age is the funk/soul genre. Multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lee taps into his love for the hot and buttered stuff on Synthesizers in Space,

pairing it alongside vintage synths for an entrancing, but somewhat limited, outing.

The good news: the funk ain’t broke. Opener “AJ’s Mood” is a straight shot of the stuff, setting the mood for what’s essentially the soundtrack to a Blaxploitation film on Mars. Fellow toe-tappers “Galactica” and “Jupiter’s Jam” mix in some sci-fi nicely, but we’re ultimately left wanting more.

The missing piece to Synthesizers is that each track is essentially a groove. With the exception of “Boogie Children,” vocals are absent. Listeners can easily pine for MF Doom laying down a verse over the commotion, but the pieces still work, albeit moderately, on their own.

Taken track by track, Shawn Lee creates a fun, soulful universe that’s still definitely worth a spin.

SHAWN LEE (w/ AM) 

TUE 8.28.12
GREAT SCOTT
1222 COMM AVE.
ALLSTON
617.566.9014.
8PM/18+/$10 ADV, $12 DOS
@GREATSCOTTROCK
GREATSCOTTBOSTON.COM