Father Divine

"Mike Ladd has been not so quietly crafting bold musical statements (like his ambitious Infesticons/Majesticons projects) for a minute now, and with this sprawling concept album has hit a new career high. Originally inspired by controversial 20th century black religious leader Father Divine, this 11-track exploration of ROIR's legendary lo-fi sonic triumphs (Suicide, Bad Brains, Lee "Scratch" Perry) ventures into a myriad of sounds, from quirky dub ("Just in Case") to spoken-word love laments like the loopy "Barney's Girl." Lyrically, that song allows Ladd to really explore his love of the language, deftly tossing words around a stark organ line. The bouncy "Murder Girl" combines a post-punk bass line with a minimal drumbeat and keyboard stabs reminiscent of the Neptunes on a serious budget underneath a whimsical, melodic hook. Actually, a Neptunes remix single of "Murder Girl" would be too hot. Hey Pharrell!" -- Funky Winkerbean, URB