The Burroughs are back with Apocalypteque, their third studio album and their biggest reinvention yet. The Colorado nine-piece, fronted by Johnny Burroughs, has spent over a decade building a live show built on multiple vocalists, a four-person horn section, and a rhythm section that just doesn’t quit, playing everywhere from Salmonfest Alaska to the Mishawaka Amphitheater and sharing stages with acts like The Motet and The Steve Miller Band. This time around, they’re leaning hard into acid house, big beat, and dance floor grooves, all wrapped around the funk and jazz chops that have always set this band apart. It’s danceable from start to finish, but it’s also got real range, swinging from galactic synth trips to seductive slow burns to full on horn-driven jam sessions. Track by track, here’s what stood out most.
01 – Make You Sweat opens the album on a high note, with a bassline so good it sets a funky tone right away. It’s a punchy little preview of everything the record has in store, and just an overall fun listen.
02 – Clock It starts quiet and builds louder right out of the gate, giving the whole song a fun sense of momentum. It sounds genuinely galactic, which matches the album’s name and theme perfectly.
03 – I Came Here to Jam keeps that out of this world, galactic feeling going, mixing it with funk and jazz. The trumpets and beats throughout are a highlight.
04 – Dance All Night lives up to its name, it makes you want to move. There’s a 70s dance jazz and funk feel running through it, carried by a powerful rhythm section.
05 – Rain Rain opens with a slower jazz vibe, and the trumpets really steal the show here.
06 – Made for Love starts with a slow, mesmerizing beat that feels like entering another reality, or being really high. The synth and keyboard part is addicting, and you can hear the keyboardist’s jazz training in the way it’s played. It’s such a chill vibe that it’s become an early favorite.
07 – Howlin’ at the Moon jumps back into a funky groove with a fun, high energy vibe. His voice is front and center, and the layered vocal ad-libs on top of the lead are a great touch.
08 – B-E-T-T-Y brings a deeper distortion groove, and the bass is deep enough that you really feel it. It’s easily one of the best basslines on the record.
09 – Cold Water slows back into a chill vibe, but the beat still hits hard underneath it.
10 – Shake Your Skeleton opens with a harmonized “la la la” hook that pulls you right in, then settles into a deep, seductive groove. The high notes in the vocal lean even further into that seductive energy.
11 – Apocalypteque announces itself as the closer within the first few seconds. It’s a powerful, complete feeling way to end the album, with a groove that feels like a spy movie montage, right in the middle of a secret mission.
Apocalypteque is easily the most ambitious thing The Burroughs have put out, and it doesn’t sacrifice any of the live energy that’s made them festival favorites for over a decade. If you’re a fan of dance floor grooves with real musicianship behind them, this one’s worth the full listen front to back.
