The Constellations

Southern Gothic (Virgin)

By Daniela Garcia
Published: July 10th, 2010 | 7:00am

If you picture yourself in a dark, seedy lounge somewhere questionable in Atlanta after listening to Southern Gothic, then the Constellations have accomplished what they set out to do with this album. Atlanta may be home to famous rappers and Real Housewives, but lead singer Elijah Jones and co. have chosen to chronicle their love for the sleazier side of their hometown with this 11-track LP.

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact sound that the Constellations have concocted. At the core, they’re an eclectic funk band with hints of R&B, rap, pop, and soul thrown in. Jones, whose vocals usually lie somewhere between the realm of rapping and spoken word, can switch from a smooth croon to a low growl with relative ease throughout the album.

“Felicia” is the epitome of what this band does best. An upbeat, bluesy track set to a catchy dance beat, it’s perfect to shimmy and shake to on a dark dance floor. It’s also the kind of song that would get constant radio play if it weren’t for its borderline vulgar lyrics. The focus is switched to hip-hop in songs like “Take a Ride” and “We’re Here to Save the Day,” where you’ll hear Asher Roth rap a few verses. The band also shows they can slow things down on “December,” a softer song filled with ‘70s pop melodies.

Sometimes the group tries to accomplish too much at once and completely lose their momentum, such as on the psychedelic reimagining of Tom Waits’ “Step Right Up,” where Jones does his best to channel Waits' raspy snarl but ultimately comes off as trying too hard. At an exhausting 9 minutes long (and with the last 3 minutes serving only as a bongo and cowbell jam fest), the song is stretched far too thin.

In terms of sound and genre-mixing, the Constellations are onto something great but need to work on finding the right balance and not overdoing it. With some tweaking, their sophomore effort could potentially be great.

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Virgin Records