Methodology

What We Have, the first album by local Toronto funk/hip-hop/soul/Latin group Methodology cannot fail to groove — not with that mix of influences. Musically, the songs are incessantly moving, and always with some little twist to mix it all up. The playing is spot-on, and better for the addition of a few guest artists for a brass section, which really adds a lot to the sound. Lyrically, it’s not quite the witty repartee that a listener might hope for (lots of lovin’ baby, but maybe not much else). But it grows on you, and there is a fantastic sense of humour that shows through in songs like "Hallucination”: "this girl’s from off this planet, she took my breath away/I’ve never been asthmatic, but I was for that one day…” There was one tune that had me riveted for both. "Indecisive” is definitely a stand-alone tune, with a harder edge — a personal message (which is a welcome break from all the lovey-dovey stuff), as the voice of an artist figuring out what he wants. I get the sense that the band are figuring that out as well — but if this album is what they have already, I’m certainly looking forward to what they’re going to get a little bit down the road.