When it comes to blending funk, rock, soul and disco, few do the job as effectively as Sugar Bones. Fronted by powerhouse vocalist Corrin Cruz, the US band made a superb noise on their self titled EP, its five songs acting like the perfect primer for the first time listener. For those who enjoyed that short release, the full length ‘Make Me Bad’ – released in June 2025 – should be considered essential listening. The record’s eleven tracks capture Sugar Bones in great form throughout, on a selection of tight, funky and occasionally harder edged tunes that show off the entire band in the best manner possible.

‘End of The Night’ kicks off the album by presenting Sugar Bones most soulful and funky sounds. A busy bass bass groove cuts through the heart of the track, and when joined by a relentlessly choppy rhythm guitar, the band’s sense of groove is more than clear. The appearance of a wah-ed guitar fleshing out the chorus gives the track an even busier sound, and although at this point, the band’s chief interests seem to be to get their audience dancing rather than supplying a big lyrical hook, everything works brilliantly. Vocalist Corrin holds everything together with a pleasingly confident approach that brings even more of a 70s soul tone to the fore, but fans of the band’s slightly rockier side get enough entertainment too, when guitarist Alejandro Castro steps forth with a sizeable lead break that shows off the band’s edge. Stoking up the sharp rhythm guitars, ‘I Don’t Wanna Talk’ favours more of a mid tempo, but doesn’t skimp on the funk. The way Cruz weaves a soul drenched vocal in and out of Ragav Venkatesan’s taut basslines immediately sets a classic Sugar Bones sound in place, and with the aid of a massive chorus, the track showcases most of the band’s best traits with ease. And that’s before Castro offsets the funk with a huge, bluesy guitar solo that, despite increasing the overall volume, remains very sympathetic to a great vocal. This number was the band’s debut single back in July 2023, but two years on and heard as part of a much bigger picture, it’s lost none of its power.

‘Leave The Light On’ finds the band in an even funkier mood on a track that places hard bass grooves against a jazz inflected drum part. Although he’s already shown an affinity for holding down a groove, Trevor Sellman really springs into life on this track, dropping amazing beats against a really hard edged bass sound. On the quieter parts of the number, Corrin is given plenty of room for a sassy performance, but for sheer power and with its rock-centric approach, it’s the chorus that’s likely to stick. Once the guitars are cranked up, Sugar Bones show off a love for old school fare like Sass Jordan and The Mother Station, delivering a near perfect blues rock sound set to melt every retro heart. It’s a sidestep from their funkier numbers, but still brilliantly played, with an attitude that’ll sound even better in the live setting.

Leaning back into the funk, ‘How I Do’ works a Bernard Edwards inspired bassline at its centre, creating a massive groove, over which a subtle rhythm guitar bolsters an already impressive sound. With a solid melody is in place, Corrin starts to sing, and at once, the whole band’s bustling sound takes on an incendiary flair. On the verses, Cruz adopts a soulful tone – big on melody, but sultry enough to showcase a rather curly voice – and on a slightly rockier chorus, she lets out a massive cry that accentuates the rock aesthetic that’s been gradually simmering alongside the band’s solid funk backbone. The guitar work mightn’t quite have the flair of Nile Rodgers, but the unwavering influence from Chic cannot be avoided here, and Sugar Bones’ love for them is more than clear. Hearing a band adding a bigger muscle to a slice of late 70s disco/funk is always impressive, of course, and despite some very strong competition, this track is an album highlight.

Centred around a funky bass groove, the brilliant ‘Places Not Familiar’ works a cool 70s sound on its verses. The blend of pulsing rhythms and melodic guitar lines immediately gives the track a lot of heart, but as with the bulk of Sugar Bones’ best work, it really springs to life once Cruz starts to sing. This number allows her to explore the full range of her voice. She fills the mellower, funk oriented parts with an effortless and soulful curl, before stretching for a huge rock tinged belt during a chunkier chorus. Although this works a similar trick to ‘How I Do’, it’s a stylistic choice that clearly works very naturally for the band, and as such, doesn’t sound any less impressive this second time around. For the main hook, the guitar work increases accordingly, and the band make the transition between a light Nile Rodgers inspired sound to a crunchy Stevie Salas inflected groove with ease. If you have any early feelings about the Sugar Bones sound, this track is where the listener is likely to find a huge love for it – for those who enjoy a bit of old school funk rock, this is a must hear.

Teasing with something even more groove laden, the intro of ‘Pretty Please’ trades in the disco flourishes for a massive slap bass that tips the hat to the funk metal boom of 1991, before Sugar Bones turn the melodic root entirely on its head to introduce an overdriven guitar that shares a bluesy, hard rock sound. Huge and dirty, it sounds like Tony Iommi jamming out a Stevie Salas riff, which inspires Cruz to wail from the bottom of her lungs. This metallic stance feels almost as natural for Sugar Bones as their ingrained love for funk, and that’s largely due to the presence of a superb vocal. If there were any doubts regarding Cruz’s range, they can be left at the door: dropping from the massive wails to emotive soulfulness once the band revert to quieter funk, she displays a hugely natural talent here that seems truly comfortable, no matter what musical curves the music throws in her direction. The rest of the band, meanwhile, never let go of a superb groove. In terms of both sharp, funky elements and heavier rock-oriented sounds, this crossover captures all of Sugar Bones’ musical interests with ease.

Offering a slightly more interesting vibe at first, a warbling bassline and heavily treated guitar at the beginning of ‘You Make Me Bad’ gives the feeling of something warped or underwater, but things quickly find their feet via another superb disco inflected groove. Driven by another tight bassline, there are moments where this feels even more Chic-centric, but ensuring there’s a little more variety at play, the verse is offset by an even louder chorus. Here, the funk jam takes on a chunky rock mood, and although the guitar is dirtier, it never upsets the melodic balance that’s at the heart of the Sugar Bones sound. Like the younger Lenny Kravitz has stepped in, this fusionist melody comes with a huge swagger which, naturally, is the perfect fit for Cruz, who turns in a fabulous performance throughout. When approaching smoother sounds, as on ‘Everything You Know’, Castro settles for a really bright guitar tone, and this track’s fusion of post-disco vibes and light influence from the 90s soul scene is well suited to his mu chops. The rhythm guitar work provides most of the musical interest here – it’s perhaps a little too high in the final mix – but, typically, Cruz’s vocals are on point, and if she’s won you over by this point, this will become a favourite in time, despite the album featuring stronger and more immediate material.

Now pretty much a Sugar Bones staple, having first seen single release in 2024 and then taking pride of place on the band’s debut EP, ‘I Feel Feelings’ sees the band trying their hand at a blend of blues and soul, driven by a cleaner guitar tone and an almost jazzy flair from the drums. The verse drops in a subtle reference to the melody of ‘Jealous Guy’, along with a couple of vocal nods to Etta James, but as the melody grows, so too, does the distinctive edge present in this particular number. Adding a funkier backdrop, the more obvious Sugar Bones sound cuts through, allowing the bass to take on almost as much of a presence as the vocal, creating a mellow workout that’s smooth enough to feel like a heart-wrenching ballad, yet just busy enough to sit comfortably among the other album tracks.

Even when this album starts to pull towards its inevitable close, Sugar Bones show no signs of flagging, from a musical perspective. The rhythm guitar driving ‘So Confused’ introduces an unexpected indie tone to the bulk of the guitar work, but a broader sound suits the band well, and doesn’t hamper either a strident, funk infused bassline or another strong vocal. For the fan, it’s likely to be Cruz that steals the show here: no matter which direction the music takes – tight funk rock grooves, even funkier interludes or sharper, rhythmic elements – she’s able to tackle everything in full cry. Her voice is rarely short of terrific, and the same can be said for her performance throughout ‘Love In Threes’ a saucy workout that drops into even bigger funk sounds and contrasts spoken elements with full scale vocal belt. At this point, Sugar Bones make their love of funk feel so natural that it really doesn’t matter if the heart of the groove doesn’t feel too different to a couple of the album’s other tracks.

Those who’ve been keeping a close eye on the band over the couple of years leading up to the release of ‘Make Me Bad’ will certainly recognise a lot of the material here. The self titled EP reappears in its entirety, providing a great backbone for the full length release, whilst a few other tracks have crept out as digital singles. What’s most important, of course, is how well all of this sits together as part of the bigger picture – and ‘Make Me Bad’ is rarely anything less than brilliant. Whether you’re approaching the record as a keen fan or first time listener, the material is likely to play very naturally and the album is a testament to a band heading to bigger success. A highly recommended listen.

July 2025