Electric Coffey

by Jason AnkenyAlthough its myriad zodiac-inspired titles might suggest that Electric Coffey does little but rehash the punishing funk of Dennis Coffey's classics "Scorpio" and "Taurus," in truth it ranks alongside the guitarist's most ambitious and accomplished LPs, exploring a vast swath of musical geography spanning from psychedelic soul to blues-rock. A monster drum break and deep-fried production conspire to make "Son of Scorpio" the sought-after cut among DJs, but Electric Coffey is much more than the sum of its parts. Coffey empties out his bag of studio tricks for "Capricorn's Thing" and "The Sagittarian," while "Love Song for Libra" and the acoustic "Lonely Moon Child" illustrate a newfound grasp of atmosphere and nuance.