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Taken from College Publisher (Sep 09, 2010)
CD Review: Michael Franti & Spearhead
by Christina
Caldwell
Media Credit: James Minchin |
Michael Franti & Spearhead
The Sound of Sunshine
(Capitol)
Grade: B+
Summer vacation is officially over, but Michael Franti insists on taunting us with absurdly fun, beachy party melodies that rekindle memories of days by the shore and nights in the club. It's exactly the kind of sound you'd expect from a man who willingly spends his days barefoot.
Franti and Spearhead take Caribbean beats, island melodies and hip-hop to fuse into one album on The Sound of Sunshine, the band's seventh effort. For the most part, the melodies are easy to tune out. Steel drums can only be taken in small doses. That's not to say they're forgettable. At times, The Sound of Sunshine shocks, especially on "The Thing That Helps Me Get Through," where electric guitars and a jazzy, rock style come into play. Though the song is out of context compared to the rest of the album, they manage to make it work with rolling, easy riffs. Title track "The Sound of Sunshine" breaks the disc open with Jack Johnson-esque acoustic guitar with a hip-hop edge.
The Sound of Sunshine doesn't become nearly as political as albums past. In a time when political talk boils over the top in pop culture, it's nice to escape to a place with a Corona and a crystal clear beach, even if it's only in your head.
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