Over the last 27 or so years, Antibalas have made a tremendous impact on contemporary music. With grooves that call to mind the best of 1970s Afrobeat and a globally inclusive understanding of jazz, this dynamic ensemble has kept the funk faith into the 21st century. Each album feels fresh, with sounds that are classic but never retro.
Producers Martín Perna (also a baritone saxophonist and the group’s founders) and Marcos García (guitarist and sometimes vocalist for Antibalas since 2003, though only the former on Hourglass) today constitute the steadily beating heart of an ever-changing lineup with a nonetheless clear identity emerging in intricate soundscapes and implicit and explicit themes of social engagement. New album Hourglass is the latest addition to the Antibalas recorded canon. On it, the group play to their strengths with six very full instrumental tracks. Each one is a testament to the Antibalas ethos of collective excellence.
Hourglass is the first full studio album from Antibalas since 2020’s much-acclaimed Fu Chronicles, the February release of which saw promotions cut short by COVID-19 but earned the group a Grammy nod. It’s also the first since the departure of frontman Duke Amayo, whose 23 years in the band made him an especially iconic aspect of their sound, image, and songwriting. That is a difficult kind of loss to bear for any group.
It’s no surprise that Hourglass has taken a back-to-basics approach, and it’s a wise move. Rather than trying to replace Amayo, the ensemble’s strategy is to move forward with the remarkable talent and musicianship of the 11 touring members at the time of recording. Heavily weighted toward brass with substantial percussion and some balancing guitars and flute, this is as quintessential an iteration of Antibalas as one can get.
The execution, recorded live over two days, is just as true to form. Drums and keys dance in dense combination on the opening track “Solace”, with warm horns entering the mix only after a full minute and a half. In “Lo Life”, the group play a slinky tribute to Ghanaian highlife with a more jazz-forward approach to melody. Trumpet solo work on “Escape” delivers soaring energy at a walking pace that evokes the street sounds of New York.
Halfway through, at the title track, the group dive into more cosmic styles. “Hourglass” is rife with space and sinuous lines. A rock growl marks the guitar textures of “La Ceiba”, setting it apart as the record’s hottest piece. Finally, “Oasis” builds to a triumphant climax that bursts into a frenzy of luscious, nature-evoking flute work. Each track lasts between five and seven minutes, not terribly long for Afrobeat and deep funk, but more than enough time for the artists and listeners to get fully involved with one another.
Much has changed since we last heard Antibalas’ studio work. Their devotion to funk and Afrobeat, though, has not wavered. Hourglass is Antibalas through and through: no novelties, no gimmicks, all consummate professionalism. That is a comfort.