2014 – Independent
By Phillip Smith;
Nov 15, 2014
Prodotype,
the debut album from Prodo, a trio from
Stevens Point, WI, is nine tracks of funky and infectious grooves. Prodo
consists of guitarist/lead vocalist Henry
Robinson, bassist Jeremy Erickson,
and drummer Dane Paster.
A fun little nod to Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle, is “The Bokonon”, which by the way, nicely kicks the
album off. Erickson and Paster keep
the groove on this one, while Robinson
dishes out a Santana-inspired bridge. While getting lost in the contagious
rhythm guiding “The Student”, I can’t help but smile at the clever philosophical
‘tip of the hat’ to the film, The Big
Lewbowski. “J2”, a tight little progressive-rock instrumental, is a definite
standout performance and it reminds me just a bit of classic Yes. This is a track the band really shines on.
One thing for sure about Prodo: they know how to construct
masterful jams. Robertson sings of many past lives in “The Secret”, a ska-flavored
track which pulls me in with unique jams and well-crafted lyrics. I’m also quite drawn to the Caribbean-friendly
groove at the base of “Chingus”, about a traveling loner. This is a track I can identify with.
My favorite track, however,
is “Fat Pessimist”. It crawled deep inside
my head on upon my first listen, and now it beckons to be listened to every day.
The lyrics, “I got too much pop!” are
not only stuck in my head, but by now are permanently secured. Good job.
Prodotype, in
its entirety, is such a fun album; I can’t help but be in a good mood after
listening. I certainly look forward to
hearing more from Prodo.
