Georgia’s Pangaea is a six-member outfit featuring saxophone, trumpet, and a full-bodied rhythm section complete with three percussionists. The band traffics in a genre-bending mix of rock, Latin jazz, and crowd-pleasing pop sensibilities that never undercut their obvious five-star skillset. Working with Grammy winner producer Dru Castro and his likewise decorated colleague engineer/mixer Ralph Cacciurri has proven to be an unquestionable boon to their artistic fortunes. Their new single “Come Together”, a cover of the venerable Beatles classic, illustrates their prodigious creative and distinctive sound coming together in grand fashion.
The band’s equally at home with vocal-led and instrumental numbers. They wisely refrain from attempting to recreate John Lennon’s iconic lead vocal from The Beatles’ version but adopt the same melody line for the singing. It works in an entirely new setting. The essential trajectory of the song remains the same, but Pangaea diversifies the rhythms with a multi-pronged attack courtesy of drummer Terry Dillard, conga player Chris Nettuno, and percussionist Frankie Quinones. They play in a layered and intensely physical fashion that supplies the bedrock for the guitar, brass, and bass to launch their explorations.
Julio Miranda’s guitar playing is one of the chief components. There’s a hard rock sound present in his contributions, primarily thanks to his instrumental sound, and it gives Pangaea’s “Come Together” a rough and tumble texture faithful but different from the original. Joe Reda’s bass playing pairs nicely with the aforementioned percussionists. He’s a dynamic bass player without assuming an ostentatious presence in the arrangement.
Groove is paramount. Pangaea establishes a memorable groove from the beginning and stays locked in throughout. They play with the effortless ease of breathing, nothing feels forced, and the instrumental interplay is airy and light on its feet. Much of this is attributable to production values. Keen ears and sure hands weave the disparate elements of Pangaea’s “Come Together” with a certainty born of confidence and skill.
It’s a cover song that understands the best reason for revisiting another artist’s material. Tackling first-line Beatles material is never something a band should do lightly. The Liverpool band’s work is such a part of the global zeitgeist that musicians should steer clear unless they can do something new with the material while respecting the source material. Pangaea does that. Their vision for “Come Together” never tries to outright mimic The Beatles. Instead, the Georgia six-piece uses the classic as a springboard for their own memorable inventiveness.
Longtime Beatles and John Lennon fans will approve. The band’s expanding fanbase will judge it well. It’s another indication that Pangaea is well on its way to achieving global notoriety rather than confining its artistic influence to the American South. Their music deserves widespread exposure. “Come Together” supplies them with a near-ideal vehicle for garnering new admirers, and hits the mark as a fully satisfying artistic statement. They are a bold and promising outfit shining brighter with each passing year and have a limitless future ahead. You’ll likely find yourself eager to hear their next release.
Mindy McCall
