The Dip Plays It Cool. Yes they do. This band is one of my favorites to get introduced to over the last couple of years. They have a new soul and funk sound with that old school feel and on top of that can play with both an edge and humor.
The top-notch is seven piece unit is comprised of two guitars, bass, drums and a three-piece horn section based in Seattle, Washington. The Dip started at University of Washington around 2013 and since 2015 has put out two full length albums and two EPs and The Dip Plays It Cool is the second EP, released in 2020. Each of the full length albums, The Dip and The Dip Delivers feature Tom Eddy on vocals on several of the tracks whereas both EPs are fully instrumental. The Dip are scheduled to return to Atlanta this spring at Terminal West and I’m sure hoping it happens then or sometime real soon. Here’s the rundown on this fine EP.
Track-By-Track
Angel de los Muertos: The EP starts with a tune dedicated to the Latino community and their struggles, which in English means “Angel of the Dead.” It definitely has that latin feel mixed in with sounds from a classic Western soundtrack.
Tom Eddy starts with the main theme on guitar mainly on the right channel. Jacob Lundgren joins on guitar and mirrors Tom’s playing establishing a pensive mood. When the horns pitch in, for me there’s a transition to a more proud, triumphant mode. The guitar twang with the horns projects imagery of riding horseback through a tumbleweed town in the Southwest. The horn section rides high and carries the main them strongly in midsong.
There’s a slow bridge where Tom changes tempo again and the second theme comes into play. Jacob plays a stellar Santana-esque main role. The horns pipe in with salsa sounding sections. Brennan Carter has a fine trumpet solo with Levi Gillis on tenor and Evan Smith playing off him until the band comes back to the main theme and close.
New King: New King starts with a nice guitar riff accompanied by muted trumpet and triangle for a beautiful melody and rhythm combo. It has a little “Grazin in the Grass” feelgood feel. The horns provide the main line for this tune but the bass and guitar breaks up to the end are rock solid.
The Scrotch: What’s a scrotch? Well, urban dictionary says it’s “scratching one’s crotch” and this one definitely hits that itch. It starts with some chill guitar interplay between Tom and Jacob. When the horns come in it reminds me of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings “How Long Do I have To Wait For Y0u.” Midway there’s a blistering bari solo from Evan Smith. The rhythm break with mark Hunter on bass and Jarred Katz on the kit sets the tone for a sweet trumpet led horn section. The ride out has a Budos Band like feel of some dark Afro beat. There’s a siren like sound over the top of some eerie horn funk to the end.
Saguaro: After a short guitar + kick drum intro, the horns come in hard and Saguaro has a classic soul sound. They bring in some string orchestration which I haven’t head previously with these guys and it’s a great touch.
Saguaro is actually a type of cactus that grows in the Southwest including the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. The multiple lines on this one make it a very interesting listen. The stop and start section is way cool and the bridge features some swirling wind sounds with a march like guitar and drum dance. The horns re-enter and continue that marching cadence right to the end.
For the first year ‘The Dip Plays It Cool’ EP is available (Oct 16, 2020-Oct 16, 2021), the band will donate 100% of our net streaming income receipts from the release to Seattle Music Partners to support their quest to broaden access to quality music instruction to under-resourced students. Stream them often on Spotify right here and purchase their stuff on BandCamp by clicking on the EP cover to the right ->
Enjoy!
The Dip visited Atlanta in the Summer of 2019 and played the Park Tavern Sunset Series. FunkCity.net was there to enjoy and capture the set live. The band was gracious enough mix the stems and hook me up with the recording for this killer music. The set features two of the songs from the new EP, Angel de los Muertos and The Scrotch. Dig The Dip!
The Dip Are:
- Tom Eddy (Vocals, Guitar)
- Jarred Katz (Drums)
- Mark Hunter (Bass Guitar)
- Jacob Lundgren (Guitar)
- Brennan Carter (Trumpet)
- Levi Gillis (Tenor Saxophone)
- Evan Smith (Baritone Saxophone)
1 Comment
Comments are closed.