Ginger Root - “Loretta"

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 10

Pairs Well With…Toro Y Moi, Washed Out, Khurangbin

Los Angeles artist Ginger Root continues to explore jazzy, prog-pop on his funky 2021 EP City Slicker, a follow-up to debut 2020 full-length Rikki and a similarly rooted, chillwave pop collection. Classic R&B melodies and pop grooves power Ginger Root’s eclectic form of soul-funk, experimental and hazy without losing a sense of rhythm and purpose. Bouncy and complex, the songs of City Slicker are unique creations and expressive in a winking way like the spaced-out explorations of Ginger Root’s funk predecessors. (Kevin McStravick)

2020 Review: Ginger Root leans hard into his prog-jazz side on “B4”, a track equally chilled out and complex, comprised of guitars and synths interplaying melodically. Both comfortable and a little weird, Ginger Root’s treatment of funk music is unique and charming, feeling right in place in the current musical landscape. The Californian artist released a couple other 2019 singles following 2018 full-length Mahjong Room and both “Weather” and “Slump” are consistent in their washed-out, cooly sunny vibes.