It's All in Your Mind
Groove Collective's latest effort functions a bit like an auditory Rorschach test--perceptions of the NYC-based jam band's album change depending on the mood you're in while listening to it. For example, when having a bad day, the disc might cause you to throw it out the window, wondering why such a talented group of musicians continually insists on cranking out tired acid-jazz albums filled with clichéd flute solos, boring bongo beats, and tired Fender Rhodes hooks over ho-hum disco-funk rhythms. However, in a cheerier mood, you just might realize how pretty these old-school hipsters still manage to sound at times, as when lilting synths flitter about a plush musical montage during the opening track, "Time Pilot," or when a delicate bossa nova beat taps lightly on a drum cymbal on the whimsical "You're Stepping on My Daisy." Most of all, one might notice how provocative GC still manages to be when they hit a solid groove, as on the title track (the album's most invigorating cut) as a rolled piano chord continuously shifts and modulates over a hypnotic thump provided with funky grace by bassist Jonathan Moran and drummer Genji Saraisi.--Sylvia W. Chan