Song of The Year-Why iii Love The Moon by Phony PPL

by Dan-O

Phony PPL is a band whose trademark is experimentation. From the Phonyland days the Brooklyn group has been working trying to triangulate the perfect way to bridge the gap between the soul/funk music we all really love and the vibrant energy hip hop infuses in each hit (did anyone see John Oliver go nuts for Turn Down For What on Last Week Tonight?) it’s a balance no one has really figured, all the way, out. It’s been done in ways we all accept but you get the feeling these six guys know that this space is where their sound needs to evolve.

Their new album Yesterday’s Tomorrow is stunning. It has short interlude songs like Someday that could rightfully be the centerpiece of an album. The rapped verses on Why iii Love The Moon are absolutely on topic, poignant, and necessary. Each song lends another shade to the rainbow but this song sticks to the roof of my brain. Maybe I love a well done piano/robot sounds combination outro? Maybe Elbee Thrie on vocals is just the #@% man?! Or this baseline made me hit the repeat key over and over.

If you are a fan of soul or funk or hip hop but your worn down with stuff that so obviously is lifted from another artists persona (I’m not gonna say names but you have like four in your mind right now) check out Yesterday’s Tomorrow and enjoy it. It very much sounds like a group that instead of drilling into the heart of music’s past ran as hard as they could to get to its future.