Feel Fantabulous

Album Review

Opening your tracks with answering machine or old blaxsploitation samples is usually a cheap way to give cred to your weak attempts at funk and hip-hop. But despite using them freely, Orlando-based Beef Wellington actually dishes up a thick and meaty stew of '70s soul, '80s sci-fi rap, and '90s hip-hop and techno that completely satisfies by refusing to segregate the sounds. Swiftly blending live instruments and an MC/vocalist with a sampledelic approach pioneered by the likes of DJ Shadow, every track sounds like all of your favorite records rolled into one. But more than just taking the best parts of prior musical achievements, Feel Fantabulous has some strikingly original moments of its own. "Threes" holds an inspired rhythm change, flipping from 4/4 to a loose tribal loop with no regard for continuity, while the catchy melodies on "Slightly Elevated" and "Where's the Beef" lock right on target. By completely disregarding the linear aspect of electro-funk history, Beef Wellington squashes the entire time line — from Parliament to Prince to Plaid — into one inspired set of productions that is loose and chunky throughout.