Sometimes I get stuck trying to describe how a group sounds and why they stand out for me (and why they should stand out to you too). It's not like that with Plantlife, or at least the one thing that is very clear, is why I like them. See, I was in love and Plantlife had love songs. Nothing makes me swoon faster than to hear some guy mourning over a psychadelic riff or contemplating the object of their affection. Whether Plantlife means it or not, it's really refreshing to hear somebody talk about love and their mistakes sometimes and not just the carnal satisfactions.

So what does Plantlife sound like? Think Prince over Parliament Funkadelic or the Isley Brothers over James Brown. They aren't retro, but they have that blue-light basement party funk vibe with a splash of electronic thrown in to wrangle the sound into the present. There aren't a lot of bands doing what Plantlife does, the closest being fellow Californians, Sa-Ra Creative Partners. Many groups could get the funk and groove part right and then lose you on the lyrics or a singer's whiny voice (which really kills the mood of the groove). Plantlife's got it all together though and on tracks like "Your Love", "Freeee!" and "Lovetoy" off their 2008 album Time Traveller.

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