The title of
Jack Splash and his fellow revelers' third album is indicative, not that it wouldn't be telling as a title for either one of
Plantlife's first two full-lengths. It's steeped a little more in synth-funk than
Remembering Back to Now and
The Return of Jack Splash, but
Time Traveller is definitely all about funk, whether that means
James Brown,
Sly & the Family Stone,
Funkadelic, or
Prince. In various guitar riffs, basslines, and choruses, there are subtle allusions to '60s, '70s, and '80s funk nuggets -- "Was that
Mass Production, or was it
Heatwave...or was it both?" -- while "Agirllikeudeservesamanwhotreatsuhowulike" pretty much lifts
Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio's "It's Time to Party Now" wholesale, despite its
Princely title.
Splash's bratty
Lil Wayne-meets-
Michael Henderson falsetto can wear thin across 66 sprawling minutes (the crew would benefit from a second lead voice), but something far more problematic would have to be in play to impair this stomping good time.