Instrumental funk project Capital 6 unveil an impressive range of songwriting and musicianship across Not My One, an album out on August 28th that channels the group’s love for collaboration and music.
Capital 6 comprise six musicians with an eclectic array of influences; they have collectively played throughout Canada the past two decades, and Capital 6 formed in the summer of 2018. The players dazzle throughout Not My One — comprising drummer Andrew DeMerchant, bassist Will Pacey, guitarist Connor Fox, saxophonist Kelly Waterhouse, trombonist Jeannine Gallant, and trumpeter Matte Robinson.
Album opener “The Shiznit” begins with a buzzing excitement and building percussion, culminating in smooth brass layers that correspond with melodic flair. The wah-wah tone approaching the two-minute turn is an enjoyable touch, as is the addition of blaring distortion and debonair electric guitar in the final couple minutes. Capital 6’s dynamic tonal prowess and knack for excitable structural builds is on full display with “The Shiznit.”
“Give It To ‘Em” follows with similarly immersive charm. A funkily understated rhythm section and clanging guitar reflections find brightened adornments in personality-filled brass, also traversing past the mid-point with an artful electric guitar infusion. The first two efforts on Not My One excel in showcasing a balanced array of instrumentation, from bursting brass to suave guitar additions, with a cohesively impactful engrossment.
Not My One continues with ravishing qualities throughout, especially on “Andrew Wears Red,” where an exotic intrigue swells in the lingering brass, woodwind flourishes, and steady rhythmic guidance. The album’s mid-point tracks thoroughly compel, and the release shines with especially climatic enjoyment on its final two tracks. “Samosas, No” exudes a blistering energy, as murmuring guitars and excitable brass intertwine seamlessly. Twangy guitar work shifts to an enjoyably contemplative realm in between, moving into melodic brass thereafter and concluding with satiating impact into the growling guitar familiarity.
Album finale “Cancer Season” is an epic success, spanning over seven minutes of delightfully atmospheric funk and psych-touched splendor. Its structural simmer enthralls in a triumphant ascent, melding chirp-y brass tones and dreamy guitar tones initially — and expanding wonderfully in the final minutes into a gorgeously serene fusing of the various instrumentation; it’s an apt send-off on an album full of richly rewarding structural unfolding, colorful instrumentation, and consistently melodic captivation.
