Razbari Sumthing
The Great Distraction

Razbari Sumthing contacted to me have their disc reviewed, and I feared receiving a low quality demo from a bunch of amateurs. My assumptions couldn’t have been any more wrong. Their 13 track release, entitled The Great Distraction, is a compilation of musical variety and professionalism that I’ve been rocking out to for weeks now. There’s so much content on this disc that I needed time to absorb it all, and I think I’m still going to miss some of the subtleties. Every time I listen to The Great Distraction, I come across yet another aspect that makes this disc a true masterpiece.

“Dungeons and Dragons” kicks off the disc with rhythmic precision of a 5/8 section that blends really nicely into a 6/8 verse. Here you first notice the low and powerful vocals of Mike Larkin, the singer and rhythm guitar player, which really fit the feel of the track. The chorus transitions into 4/4, and is driven by solid drums and a perfect horn section. The two trumpet and trombone combination of Razbari Sumthing reminds me of Earth, Wind and Fire in sound quality and intensity, leaving me to pick my jaw up off the floor. The drum fills stuck into the verses show off the double bass capabilities and clean playing of Kinyatta King, who I was not surprised to learn was a drum instructor. A breakdown features vocal harmonies and comical lyrics about the kid inside, rounding out the song as an awesome opening track. The next track, “Untitled,” blends rock, metal, and ska with more awesome horn lines and a lyrical history lesson in ska that concludes with “I know what ska music is all about, but our new brand of ska will knock your old ass out.” I concur. “Dickfor” is a pretty typical third-wave track, but the horns and exceptional rhythm section make the tune exceptionally unique. More harmonies and some backing vocals keep the track interesting as it transitions back and forth from ska to punk. “Crystal Green and Gold” starts off with a nice bass line, which is cut through by an exceptional drum fill to blend the tune into a nice rock jam. The tune is pretty dark sounding, and eventually blends into a ska verse and a jump rock chorus and a cool horn feature, splitting the horns into individual parts. The melodies and harmonies of Razbari Sumthing never cease to amaze me, no matter how many times I hear them. “Okay” is an acoustic track that isn’t as riveting and complex as the rest of the disc, but serves as a decent intermission. “P.S. To Whom It May Concern” starts off as a jam band track with flowing lyrics and funky guitar, but I don’t think the chorus lives up to the standards set by the rest of the album. Rhyming “dammit” with “planet” seems really out of place, and the lyrics are somewhat trite. A really sweet horn line seems to save the chorus as one of the trumpet players hits a high D, a rarity among local horn players. A funky guitar solo and cool lyrical and horn breakdown round out the song and seem to redeem the track and keep it up to par.

“Into the Grey” starts with typical rock, but eventually goes double time into a really catchy and articulate horn part followed by high speed ska and really well placed rapped lyrics. Guitar solos and cool dark sound effects keep the song interesting and make it exceptional. “Breathe” has a slow paced guitar and vocal beginning and slams into the first real two-tone sound on the disc. Accompanied by their signature horn section, this is definitely my favorite track on this release. King keeps the song interesting with his personal touches, including cool fills and nicely placed snare accents. “Valley of Kings” is a reggae paced instrumental that’s another favorite of mine on the disc. A long and complex guitar solo by Chris Markle, Razbari Sumthing’s lead guitarist, transitions nicely into a horn hook and solos that make the entire 3:11 of this track extremely enjoyable and danceable. “Mountains of Avalon” is a dark rock / ska tune that fades in with a distant trumpet intro, further elaborating on the musical professionalism of this disc. “Freaked Out” begins with acoustic guitar and horns, and this ballad feel makes its way to a punk chorus and rock verses with additional perfect horn parts – like these guys haven’t proved themselves already. “The Great Distraction,” an emotional rock track that stays very danceable, and “End of Time,” a 5 minute long musical epic, put the exclamation points on this disc as a more than exceptional release.

In my book, Razbari Sumthing has more than proved itself as a force to be reckoned with. These guys take professional abilities and blend these into a brand new compilation of styles – a unique and awesome ability that makes The Great Distraction exceptional. Although they’re from Syracuse, they’ve made it to The Space in Hamden before, so look out for these guys in CT again soon. Also, check out their MySpace and a sneak peek at a drum solo from a RazSum show.

Reviewed By:  Todd Springer

Date:  Sat 2 Sep 06

Score:  9.0

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