What the World Needs Now

by The Sugarman 3

There is a certain sound that the listener has come to expect from a Daptone Records album, but the Sugarman 3 don't always fit into that exact style.

They are a funk band that mostly consists of three men (only the sax player has the last name Sugarman), although they are supported here by six other musicians, and from time to time, two vocalists.  Their music is funky, but also a little gimmicky, like it's being written for a cartoon or a commercial.  Reading that back, it sounds a little harsh - I mean that in the best way.

This new album, What the World Needs Now is much stronger than their earlier releases, such as the overly-gimmicky Soul Donkey.

The sillier outings on this record are the ones written by Mr. Sugarman, such as 'Your Friendly Neighbourhood Sugarman', and 'Witch's Boogaloo'.  The covers, such as their take on Burt Bacharach's title track, come off stupendously.