Do you want to get funky? Look no farther than the self-titled 7th studio album from jammy funk band The Motet, featuring fifty-five minutes of pure musical joy. The seven-piece ensemble have been composing and touring together for the past twelve years, and their dedication shines through on The Motet.

The whole album can be streamed for free, through the band’s Bandcamp page. With high-quality downloads running only seven dollars, it seems The Motet are doing it right… putting their fans before all else. Considering I just wrote an article about Kanye West and Bonnaroo, it’s refreshing to find a band eager to share their work.

So, what’s so great about The Motet? Well, you can read the press release accompanying the album to get the idea:

“With the release of their 7th album, The Motet once again showcase their commitment to pushing the sonic envelope, while remaining dedicated to the musical traditions that have defined their sound. The new album, which is self-titled, boldly states that this is the band The Motet has strived to become. The whole has become greater than the sum of it’s parts with each member of the band contributing to the writing and arranging of the songs, telling a unified story through syncopated rhythms and melodies. If you’ve loved The Motet for years or are just tuning in, listen up, you haven’t heard The Motet like this and you won’t be disappointed.”

Weaving through musical themes that pack a punch with every turn, The Motet starts with the celebratory, swagger-laden tune, “Like We Own It.” Each note played is bursting with pride, and the statement is made: we’re the shit. This sentiment carries throughout the album, constantly reinforced with wailing saxophones, blaring trumpets, and belted lyrics.

It’s important for musicians to take pride in what they do, but, by making this album so accessible, The Motet accomplishes this without arrogance. They must really love their fans.

Some of the album’s more dynamic work comes on the instrumental track, “Rynodub.” This was a personal favorite (though choosing a favorite on The Motet is like splitting hairs), as the tune starts with a heavy-tension bass riff that leads into a reggae-influenced trumpet melody. Some masterful guitar fills work the tune into a loose, space-synth middle section, before a hammering drum section launches the jam into the cosmos. A guitar solo brings it back to Earth, finishing off with the familiar bass riff from the beginning. If that ain’t funky, I don’t know what is.

There’s another instrumental on the album, “The Fountain,” but you’re probably better off just listening to it yourself. My description can only go so far.

With tunes like “Rich In People,” “Extraordinary High,” and “Keep On Don’t Stoppin,” The Motet channel that 70’s funk sound with exuberance. No doubt this band puts on one helluva live show, which seems fitting, as we tend to live for live music…

-David Melamed (@DMelamz)

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