Total Score: 4/5

Hip Hop/Soul group The Ill Funk Ensemble (Not to be confused with out Editor, 1LLA Funk) is a band from Albany NY that is bringing the funk back on their latest EP, “The Duality.” Their music is hot, and talent apparent on all of their songs. It’s only a matter of time before they enjoy even greater success.

The Duality has a good mixture of songs. “She’s Fearless” showcases lead singer Jermaine Wells’ smooth vocals, in the same vein as John Legend. The instrumentation is nice, mellow and funky all at once. The lyrics are good also, with Wells singing about a sexy, independent woman who breaks men’s hearts. The only slight misstep is the rapping featured in the chorus. It seems out of place with the rest of the song and is not a good fit within the composition. “Amazing” is a fast-tempo song that relies a little too heavily on Auto-tune but has a nice Hip-Hop beat and features great rapping. The rap works well in this song, and is the focus of the composition. Wells is a talented Rap artist, along with being a capable vocalist. The song would work better with less Auto-tune, though. A slower track is “Hot Crazy Good Love” which features a jazzy piano riff– provided by band member Joe Stoner- overlayed with a blazing Hip Hop beat. Again, Wells’ vocals are on point, with back-up vocals perfectly complementing his voice. BJ FitzGerald brings in his funky guitar, and Dennis Brooks’ drum beat keeps everything on track. The only downside to this funky, catchy R&B track is that it ends too quickly.

Ill Funk Ensemble is a great R&B/Funk band that gives listeners good music to enjoy. They are talented musicians that know what’s catchy and what’s hot. With some slight adjustments on the compositions of their songs, this band has what it takes to make it big in the music world!