Specialists
Hole in the Wall
Bands and songs like this make writing this blog a pleasure (and easy!). Specialists are an NYC based funk project, founded by guitarist Will Harden and bassist Mikey Rotunno. They have composed works for a host of bands and project in several genres, but this one (dry funk), is where they shine. Dry funk? Yes, that’s what I call it, and thankfully it’s gotten a nice resurgence of the past couple of years with bands like Vulfpeck, The North 41 and Snarky Puppy. When I say dry, I’m referring specifically to the mix - little to no reverb, straight eq and light compression. Compare these bands to funk bands of the 70’s & 80’s and you’ll see my point. Like the bands I just mentioned, Will & Mikey’s timing, tone and riffs are impeccable. Lace up your feet whips and crank up your speakers - this one is going to move you. Here’s my review of “Hole in the Wall.”
The seven second intro let’s you know right away this one is going to burn. A series of slappy, descending chordal riffs that start in f# minor, followed up by a vicious run of 16th notes before the first verse starts. Great way to grab some attention and set it off right. For me, the best part of this intro is the voicings on the Rhodes. Beautiful stuff - not bragging, just the right extensions.
The first verse takes off with a Barry Gibb-esque falsetto line for the melody, and we’re down with it. There’s a great separation between it and the mix, and the juxtaposition it serves against the chord progression is really solid. Whenever you have an up-tempo track like this, it’s easy to start showing off and riffing, but they don’t do it (with any part of the song, really) - they’ve created just the right amount of movement. By the way, we’re at 126 BPM. It feels so much faster, but that’s the “deceit” that caused by heavy syncopation in a solid groove. Great chord progression in this section - it lends itself to a lot of movement and leading tones, and all the accents are in the perfect spot. My favorite chord of the progression is when they land on the A (maj 7, if I’m not mistaken) that creates a beautiful release over the “marriage is dying” and “now she is crying” lines. Btw, I have a guess about the lyrical content (in conjunction with the title), but we’ll save that for another day. ;)
At the end of the first verse we get a massive riff over a single verse that creates a nice separation into the chorus, where they switch over to a chest voice with Mikey taking the lead duties away from Will. Great phrasing and tone, sir! It’s critical in funk and disco to keep it moving and pulsing, to not break the vibe, which is very different from what I preach about often in terms of song structure and composition (every section of a song is like a room of a house - it’s serves a purpose, is decorated differently, but is all part of the same thing). If rock, pop and country are a house, then funk and disco are a big open room that’s hosting a party. Every corner of the venue/room needs to be steeped in the groove, dripping in the vibe, reeking of the fun. Even with their riffy little breaks throughout the song, they never break the genre - they keep the party going.
After the first chorus (at 1:09), we get a nice little fuzzy break groove that adds in some cool synth tones in my right speaker, and then they use the back half of the intro riff to take us into the second chorus. Love little surprises and changes like that (and the change in guitar tones) - it keeps it interesting for the listener and fun for the band. The length of the 2nd verse is the same as the first, but this thing, they jump right into the second chorus without a break or a riff sequence. Don’t underestimate the power of that decision right there. They could have easily snuck in another face melter, but why? That would just be showing off (see above), and they’ve already proved their point.
At 2:27, the outro starts and the phrasing of it lets you know that we’re coming to a close. Really love the choice of the b minor for the final landing - nice tension. Looking back on the whole mix (which I listened to on a set of 5” studio monitors, closed ear headphones and 18” mains) I have to give some praise to mix and production crew. Every tone is clearly placed, great separation in the eq and pan, and nothing is stepping on each other. When they add in duplicate riffs and tones, it’s done tastefully. This was mixed and mastered by some folks who know what the hell they are doing - it’s textbook dry funk. Great work!
You’ve got a lot of homework to do with this band’s discography and their three LP releases (scroll down!!!!). The groove and solo guitar tone on “Birdseye” is absolute perfection. “Booty Mover II” from their 2019 release has a slower groove than the track above, but it’s just as lovely. Even better are the lyrics and vocal mix, and, how they work with the guitar riffs in my right speaker. “"Fishtank” from their 2018 release is more keyboard heavy, but shows you a depth to their writing. The guitar solo is like a beautiful acid trip. ;) There’s a lot of great stuff in those projects - I hope you’ll check them out.
Great work boys, hope to catch you live someday - good look with the upcoming shows!
Upcoming Show Dates:
1/21: LANCASTER, PA at Tellus 360
2/3: STATEN ISLAND, NY at Hop Shoppe
2/17: ALBANY, NY at Pauly’s Hotel
2/18: WINDHAM, NY at Windham Mountain Resort
3/31: LANCASTER, PA at Tellus 360
4/1: PHILADELPHIA, PA at The Fire
4/28: PROVIDENCE, RI (Venue TBA)
4/29: BOSTON, MA at Middle East