The Chris Ruben Band - Madness on Repeat

Madness on Repeat, the title of The Chris Ruben Band’s new full-length, reads like a track you might want to immediately delete from a playlist. Why listen to something that’s only going to make you crazy, right? However, Ruben isn’t talking about any particular crazy-making music. Instead, he’s most likely referring to repeatedly crazy societal behaviors. Therefore, the album addresses contemporary society with an album of tasty, funk-spiced rock music.

The obvious influence upon The Chris Ruben Band is Red Hot Chili Peppers. That band, after all, made Funkadelic/Parliament/George Clinton funk palatable for mainstream consumption. The album opens with the bass-slapping “Unsure,” which mightily brings the funk. It’s followed, though, by “Won’t See Me,” a sincere plea for romantic reciprocation. It’s a soulful rock song that sounds far more Aerosmith than, say, Prince.

Ruben sings these songs with a voice that can go from strained scratchiness to a lovely falsetto, as occurs during “Live Meltdown.” Although Ruben is this music’s central focus, drummer Russ Benjamin kicks off both “Starfish” and “Prayer for Sadness,” proving this is, indeed a band, more than any one man show.

Something magical can happen whenever rock and funk music intersect, and The Chris Ruben Band sure creates a lot of musical magic with Madness on Repeat.

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