Galactic: Tchompitoulas

There are certain things you can expect when a new Galactic project arrives: a strong collaborative spirit, excellent musicianship and production, and of course, a heady dose of funk. An institution at this point, the New Orleans band delivers on all of those fronts with their latest EP, chompitoulas. Running around 20 minutes, the six songs here show off the galactic spirit right away, starting with the instrumental “Big Whiskers,” a three-and-a-half-minute blast of guitar and organ that immediately delves into the meter side of the equipment. . From there, they continue to hone the mix of hip-hop and soul that they’ve explored for years. “Making Cents” is a Jurassic 5-esque jam that finds the band teaming up with Florida indie rapper Eric Biddines, who throws up fast rhymes over some mid-tempo beats and saxophone lines. “Float Up” moves further into pop territory, with new galactic vocalist Anjelika “Jelly Joseph” offering a positive anthem about getting ahead while creating a lyrical dichotomy of hers: you’re with her or against her. “Ny to Nola” is the most experimental track on the album, a fitting finale led by drummer Stanton Moore that features New Orleans musician Glen David Andrews. But the standout collaboration is “Ready for Me,” in which Joseph and Cuban rapper Cimafunk trade verses as the band lays down an up-tempo beat. Although this is a short and sweet offering, if you’ve got the funk and soul itch then this will certainly scratch it.