Resistance the Brainfeeder debut from jazz-funkateer Brandon Coleman. A key player (not to mention a “keyboard player”) in the West Coast jazz renaissance that incubated his childhood friends and peers Kamasi Washington and Stephen Bruner (a.k.a. Thundercat), Resistance is a spaced-out opus that exists in the same universe.
But whereas Washington makes grandiose jazz epics and Thundercat is spazzy, wildly eclectic experiments, Coleman is all about the funk. With an impressive vocabulary that revels in the complete history of funk, as well a clear traces of Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder and Daft Punk, it’s a fun and wonderfully textured record.
Aside from a few guest appearances, most of the singing is done by Coleman, who runs his voice through a thick autotune filter, resulting in a personality-void robot voice. While this voice isn’t altogether unpleasant, it also doesn’t do the the album any favors either.
Coleman is a talented artist with George Clinton levels of funk running through his veins, and this should be rewarded. However, Resistance lacks a charismatic voice to make it stand out as something more than the dynamic amalgamation of its influences.
Score: đśď¸đśď¸đśď¸đśď¸/5
Ryan is a writer, editor and vinyl collector currently based in Los Angeles. He started Mini Music Critic in 2017.