Very possibly Soul Fire’s finest full-length to date (at least when it was released in early 2002), the Whitefield Brothers’ debut album, In the Raw, is a stomping, muscular, fantastically heavy set of instrumental funk that packs a mighty wallop. It’s somewhat different from the other releases by Germany’s Poets of Rhythm, who are actually moonlighting here under the Whitefield Brothers’ alias, but certainly compatible with their aesthetic. There are some exotic touches here and there — African chants and percussion on some tracks, a heavy Caribbean voodoo vibe on others. There’s also a trippy stoner vibe to much of the project, with fuzz-toned organ stabs, spare floating horn work, deliberate mid-tempo grooves, and booming drums mixed way up front for maximum thud. It’s an exhilarating listen, and raises hopes that Soul Fire will continue to come up with funk sounds this fresh. – Steve Huey