It’s been a while since we heard from Worcester’s Desert Boots, but they’re back with this perfect summer party song. We all know about their patented mixture of subtle funk and restrained soul, blending irresistibly danceable rhythms with evocative vocals. Well, they’ve gone all out for a funky dance vibe on this track, while maintaining their musical poise.
Despite locking in to transform you, the listener, into a dancer, there is a restrained Princey feel to everything on this song: the way the lead guitar enters at the start, the way the bass is super rhythmic but unobtrusive, the quietly bubbling lead guitar lines disguised as a keyboard in the verse. The funky drums are the dependable bed that everything is built on, but it wouldn’t be a Desert Boots song without a moment where everybody unexpectedly stops playing for a moment. (At the end of the first chorus and mid way through the second verse in this one!)
Turns out that all this blissful, light, summer, dance vibe is actually a great breakup song! The lyrics use a road trip as a metaphor for leaving a difficult relationship behind you and moving towards a new future. Watching a mess getting smaller and smaller in the rear-view mirror is a liberating prospect as the summer stretches out in front of us. “Traffic light says green / but you only see red babe” sings lead vocalist Rich Fox in his distinct sweet, smoky, soulful tones. Perhaps those unexpected pauses are stops for a red light as the breakaway begins?
There’s a relaxed, understated guitar solo and halfway through this I suddenly noticed there’s bongos cutting through the mix, then I heard cha-cha bell and realised that there was a whole percussion section that was being cleverly faded up so it creeps up on you, and before you know it you can’t help dancing. As we approach the end the percussion finally breaks free of the track to play on its own, then there’s handclaps, then there’s trombone, yes! All the different elements blend together into a funky groove that’s built for dancing, with the twitchy rhythm guitar and percussion conveying the speeding car of the lyrics.
Make sure you catch the Desert Boots live show, where the songs are simply a jumping off point for the band to really cut loose! And please note that a glitch in The Matrix means they are found on streaming services as The Desert Boots, you’ll need to use that when you’re searching them up to soundtrack your next barbecue.
By: Eastside Jimmy
You can down load Traffic Light By Desert Boots on bandcamp.