Yohimbe Brothers

Former Living Colour guitar hero Vernon Reid and DJ Logic (Medeski Martin & Wood sideman and leader of Project Logic) toiled on and off for more than a decade on Front End Lifter. This doubtlessly contributed to the disc’s schizoid nature; these Black Rock Coalition vets run through genres like Spinal Tap went through drummers.

Throughout Front End Lifter, the Brothers swing between tongue-in-cheek levity and serious-as-a-Knitting Factory-gig gravity. That neither approach feels strained is a tribute to Reid and Logic’s versatility and virtuosity. They also show keen judgment regarding guest musicians, roping in major talents such as Doug Wimbish (Tackhead), Will Calhoun (ex-Living Colour), Micah Gaugh and Yuval Gabay (ex-Soul Coughing) as well as little-known ringers such as Leon Gruenbaum, Jimmy Lee and Hank Schroy.

Yohimbe Brothers’ freewheeling agenda comes to sweetest fruition on the album’s strangest fusions. “Welcome 2 the Freq Show” pedals deranged drum ‘n’ bass, like early Squarepusher crossed with madcap, Raymond Scottlike cartoon music, as Reid unfurls Buckethead-style precision oddness. “Bamalamb” is a blues/funk/square-dance hybrid that could turn George Clinton’s hair back to its original color. Elsewhere, space-dusted dub, P-Funkesque debauchery (with hip-hop legends Slick Rick and Prince Paul on the mic), mutant slow-motion boogie, exultant dancehall anthems and acid-rock jams further confound musical pigeonholers. Cynics could accuse Yohimbe Brothers of merely messing around in scattershot fashion in their free time, except that much of their mad experimentation really sounds amazing.