The Transatlantics

August, 2010

The Transatlantics/Mecca/Freestlye Records Reviewed by David Knight

The old school soul and deep funk revival has been in full strut for many years now with American bands Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Breakestra and The Menahan Street Band, as well as Melbourne’s The Bamboos, pushing the raw and heavy sounds from Memphis, Detroit and Philadelphia from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Before the revival, to hear authentic soul and funk you would usually have to listen to hip hop or experimental beats, as many hip hop DJs and electronic producers were sampling the raw heat from the original innovators to make their beats grimey yet drenched with soul. Now, many bands are flying the flag of authentic soul across the world, as the aforementioned bands are brilliant revivalists, with the Dap-Kings especially, as good as Stax’s backing band Booker T & The MGs or Motown’s The Funk Brothers. The Transatlantics aren’t up to that level yet but with their debut album, arguably Adelaide’s best live band, prove they are on their way to becoming not only one of the best Australian deep funk bands but with their international two-album record deal could soon be integral players on the global soul circuit. The opening instrumental number Tea Legs is classic raw Memphis soul setting the album up magnificently. Unfortunately the next track Couldn’t Be Him almost falls into jazz ballad territory missing some soul brimstone and this along with On Fire lack the grittiness that is found in tracks such as I’ve Been Bad. With its tight groove and suggestive lyrics, I’ve Been Bad shows the direction The Transatlantics should be heading in; raw and dirty deep soul, which is captured on their Marva Whitney cover Things Got To Get Better. The Transatlantics are still terrifyingly young to be busting out this brand of authentic soul with the eight-piece on average about half the age of the Dap-Kings’ members. The Transatlantics captures the beginnings of a band on the rise; they will soon overtake The Bamboos as this country’s premier deep funk band, just not yet.