Gainesville, FL-based avant soul duo The Slims consume musical genres. Ostensibly slow jam peddlers, the group — comprised of Travis Atria (aka Jackie Slim, aka James Brawn, aka Jimba Lushi) and Collin Whitlock (aka Jimmy Slim, aka Merlin Brando, aka Jamba Lushi) – mix rhythmic, soul throwbacks with their own genre-mashing predilections. But don’t let the humorous nom-de-plume’s throw you; these guys sweat authenticity, even when they’re rearranging sounds to fit their often particularly eccentric moods. The writing of Slowpoke, the duo’s self-released debut record (due out September 24th), began during the recording of fellow unconventional pop band Morningbell’s recent release, Boa Noite – a band in which Atria is also a member. But rather than drawing from the indie tropes and orchestral tendencies of that band – though that does still occur to a certain degree, Atria and Whitlock take a long look back at Stax and Motown for their collaboration, and the resulting songs scream cosmic soul jams and cut-and-paste indie grooves.
For the first single from Slowpoke, the band has chosen the twisted R’n‘B and peculiar soul pop predilections of “Only A Part, Not The Whole.” Opening with a vaguely Oriental vocal ululation, the song shifts suddenly into something reminiscent of Hall & Oates channeling Marvin Gaye. But not content to simply root around in one particular amalgam of musical ground, Atria and Whitlock toss in snippets of psych rock, neo-soul, and chunks of shimmering pop harmonies until the track seems to swell with a barely contained creative impulse. Dripping with rhythmic physicality, “Only A Part, Not The Whole” begs to be played late at night, when you’re looking for something other than that classic Teddy Pendergrass album to set the mood.
Beats Per Minute is pleased to premiere the new single, “Only A Part, Not The Whole,” from The Slims’ debut album, Slowpoke.
