Meanwhile...Back at the Lab

With a title that references the band's love of studio work, Slightly Stoopid's Meanwhile...Back at the Lab is a love letter to jamming on tape, one that often flirts with dub techniques, and sounds "wet" the whole way through. Check the highlight, "This Version," for a reverb-heavy creep across the mixing console, or jump to "Come Around," which kicks open the door with a tech sound before filling the room with some dank, dubby bass. The positive vibrations on "Life Rolls On" are pushed right to the front of the speakers with horns coming through loud and clear, and thankfully, this loose tribute to recording techniques doesn't forget it's the song that matters, as the writing remains solid and often sweet. Longtime fans will dig how early song "The Prophet" gets a new recording here, and yes, that's the reggae-loving and Grammy Award-winning songwriter Angela Hunte ("Empire State of Mind") lending a hand on "One Bright Day." ~ David Jeffries