Review: Witty Tarbox’s “Origins of Schmitty” is an Original Blend of Funk, Indie, Blues
Witty Tarbox recently released their newest album, Origins of Schmitty, on September 6th of 2019. The 13-track-long album is the band’s first full length, released on Tarbox Records.
Founded in 2016, the band hails from Buffalo, New York. Cody Tarbox (bass), Bryan Williams (guitar/vocals), Alex Khoury (guitar/vocals), Seth Bykowski (saxophone/vocals) and Colin Gray (drums) make up the quintet that blends rhythmic funk with indie elements and surf riffs. They’re a mixture of jam, indie, blues and rock that appeals to so many different fans of so many different genres. With that being said, Origins of Schmitty has a track for everyone.
The opening track, “Group Therapy”, is a slow-paced indie track that opens the album powerfully. It’s very different in tone from the funky “Fa Napoli”, which is very different in tone from the funk and blues-influenced “Goodbye Jackie” (and these are all just the first three tracks) — but somehow, all of these tracks seem to define the fun, funky and original Witty Tarbox. Track eight, “A Universal Feeling or Two”, is erratic, upbeat, energetic and wonderfully fun (author’s note: my personal favorite track on the album).
“Witty Tarbox is known for storytelling through the use of characters, glued together with infectious melodies, catchy lyrics, and groovy rhythms. In just a short amount of time, they have captivated audiences with their stage presence and antics, allowing them to gather a rapidly growing following”, states their bio. And they’re 100% right — they are infectious, catchy and groovy all in one package. Origins of Schmitty is worth a listen (or seven consecutive listens).
Stream the album on Spotify, like them on Facebook. and visit their website for more information, lyrics and event info.
For fans of: Cage The Elephant, Cold Lazarus, Of Clocks and Clouds