Lettuce dishes out funky, fresh jams in latest ‘Cook’ album

It’s the New Year — time to shed holiday pounds with some Lettuce love. Last month, the veteran six-piece ensemble brushed their aprons off with a satiating ninth studio album, Cook — and Lettuce just say, our compliments to the chef!

Fresh out of the oven, Cook spans a spicy 16 songs — each layered with exquisite instrumentation. Like the band’s past three Elevate, Resonate, and Unify albums, Cook was recorded at Colorado Sound, with saxophonist Ryan “Zoid” Zoidis mixing up the ingredients before GRAMMY-nominated engineer Jesse O’Brien polished it off. 

Simply put, it’s something you want to sink your teeth into.

We don’t knead to keep the wordplay going, but, as percussionist Adam Deitch says, “Music and food are very related. Use the wrong ingredients in either and you can ruin the sound and the meal.” It’s true — cooking up a fine tune is similar to getting a certain dish right. Add too much of a pinch of this or a dash of that and you can spoil the whole experience! Songs often times need to marinate a minute… and presentation is everything. You can turn up the heat or simmer a song down, depending on your audience’s taste — all with intention to bring home the bacon at the end of the day.

In essence, Cook is from the kitchen with love, with a very flavor-forward candor. From classic soul influences to modern urban homages, the album weaves a tapestry of juicy genres across decades. Uptempo diddys “Clav It Your Way” and “The Mac” are overt nods to the late, great James Brown and his iconic sax player, Maceo Parker, while “Gold Tooth” emits a Tower of Power vibe. In fact, lead single “Keep On” credits original TOP member Emilio Castillo as co-writer! Then, there’s “The Matador” with a more hip hop vibe over keys chords and cowbell… which is almost to be expected, considering the band’s recent tour opening for Wu-Tang Clan.

“This record is a little more three-dimensional than our past albums,” says Deitch.

“It shows a lot more sides to the band, exploring further depths of production and arrangements.” And the final dish is, indeed, deliberately arranged with four “Sesshins” acting as breakers throughout the rundown. Lasting under a minute, each “Sesshin” showcases the band’s collaborative approach to songwriting… how small bites of jam sessions evolve into a full meal.

So whether you’re grooving to “Rising to the Top” — a cover of Keni Burke’s 1982 R&B hit, with a melody not unlike “All Night Long” by the Mary Jane Girls — or taking a beat to reflect about life listening to the downtempo, laidback track “Breathe”, fans are free to consume funk by the spoonfuls in Cook.

Personally, we’re savoring every bite. It pairs well with any palette, so order up! Get your copy of Cook today via the links below and, for those sticking to digital mediums, make sure to add this savory spread to your playlists to start the New Year off funky, fresh. Cheers!

Lettuce – “Keep On”

Chef Capon Cooks Adam Deitch’s Casear Salad

Track listing:

1. Grewt Up
2. Clav it Your Way
3. Sesshins 1
4. 7 Tribes
5. Rising to the Top
6. Sesshins 2
7. Gold Tooth
8. Breathe
9. The Matador
10. Sesshins 3
11. Cook
12. Storm Coming
13. Keep On
14. Sesshins 4
15. The Mac
16. Ghosts of Yest

Stream ‘Cook’ album:

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Disclaimer: All views presented in this album review are those of the reviewer and not necessarily those of Top Shelf Music.