''Schvitz'' is the sixth studio album by the American

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

band

Vulfpeck Vulfpeck is an American funk/soul band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 2011. Founded by multi-instrumentalists Jack Stratton, Theo Katzman, Woody Goss, and bassist Joe Dart, the band has released four extended plays, six studio albums, a co ...

, released on 30 December 2022 through their own label, Vulf Records. It is their first album to feature

Cory Wong Cory Juen Wong (born March 8, 1985) is an American guitarist, songwriter, record producer, and video producer based in Minneapolis. He has released many works as a solo artist and in partnership with others. His background spans several genres i ...

Antwaun Stanley Antwaun Stanley is an American R&B singer and songwriter based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Career Stanley grew up in Flint, Michigan. He began singing at age three and took part in talent competitions including ''The Queen Latifah Show'' and ''S ...

and

Joey Dosik Joey Dosik is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles, California. His most recent album, ''The Nostalgiac'', was released in 2023. Career Dosik grew up in Los Angeles, California. He started on piano at a ...

as prominent performers on all or most tracks. Announced in November 2022, the album was preceded by six

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

Background

In October 2020, the band issued their fifth studio album, ''The Joy of Music, the Job of Real Estate'', containing five original tracks with the remainder consisting of previously released material. Vulfpeck also released four

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

s under the ''Vulf Vault'' header from 2020 to 2022, with each one focusing on a different band member. All band members contributed and performed on 2022

's album ''Wong's Cafe''. In August, frontman Jack Stratton released the first studio album under his solo alias Vulfmon, ''Here We Go Jack'', featuring contributions from David T. Walker,

Monica Martin Monica may refer to: People *Monica (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name *Monica (actress) (born 1987), Indian film actress *Mônica (footballer, born 1978) (Mônica Angélica de Paula) *Mônica (football ...

and

Mike Viola Michael Anthony Viola (born September 26, 1966) is an American producer, musician, songwriter, and singer, best known for his work with Panic! at the Disco, Andrew Bird, Ryan Adams, J.S. Ondara, Mandy Moore, and Jenny Lewis. His original music h ...

. On 8 July 2022, Vulfpeck performed at the Levitate Music & Arts Festival in Marshfield,

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. It was their first live appearance since their headlining

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

concert in 2019.

Release

The album's title, release date, track listing and artwork were announced on 25 November 2022, alongside the release of

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

"Sauna". ''Schvitz'' is a

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

word for a

steambath A steam bath is a steam-filled room or steam-filled cabinet designed for the purpose of relaxation and holistic treatment. Steam baths have been formally recognized since ancient Greek and Roman times, yet variations can be found throughout the ...

, and the videos were recorded in a sauna with the band dressed in robes and hats. Graphic designer Pseudodudo handled the cover artwork. A new single was then released every week for the next six weeks, with "In Heaven" concluding the album's rollout on 30 December. The day after ''Schvitz'' was issued, the band

livestreamed Livestreaming, live-streaming, or live streaming is the streaming of video or audio in real time or near real time. While often referred to simply as ''streaming'', the real-time nature of livestreaming differentiates it from other non- live ...

telethon A telethon (a portmanteau of "television" and "marathon") is a televised fundraising event that lasts many hours or days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political or other cause. Most telethons feature heavy solicitatio ...

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

Reception

In a three-star review for the ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

'', Ludovic Hunter-Tilney concluded the album's "good humour is irresistible", highlighting "Sauna" as a "breezy piece of pop-funk plotted and arranged with pinpoint attentiveness".

Track listing

Notes * "Simple Step" is a cover of funk band Groove Spoon's 2010 song of the same name, of which Stratton, Dart, and Stanley were members. * "In Heaven" is a cover of

's 2018 song of the same name. * "Serve Somebody" is a cover of

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

's 1979 song "

Gotta Serve Somebody "Gotta Serve Somebody" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released as the opening track on his 1979 studio album '' Slow Train Coming''. It won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Male in ...

". * "What Did You Mean By Love?" is a cover of

Theo Katzman Theodore Daniel Katzman (born April 2, 1986) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and record producer based in Los Angeles. His musical style is a fusion of pop, jazz, funk, and indie rock. He is a member of the funk band Vu ...

's 2019 song "What Did You Mean (When You Said Love)".

Personnel

Vulfpeck * Joe Dart – bass guitar (all tracks) * Woody Goss –

Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...

(1–3, 5, 7–10), piano (4), guitar (6) *

– vocals (1, 3–7, 10), guitar (2, 6, 9), drums (3, 5, 7–8), Wurlitzer (4), kazoo (8) * Jack Stratton – drums (1, 4, 9–10), keyboard (3, 7), piano (5), percussion (6), Wurlitzer (8), vocals (2) Other musicians *

– piano (1, 7), saxophone (2–3, 5, 8), vocals (3–5, 7, 10), organ (4, 9), guitar (6) * Jacob Jeffries – vocals (3, 10) *

– vocals (1, 3–7, 9–10), drums (2) *

– guitar (all tracks) Technical * Jack Stratton – mixing (1–5, 7–10), overdubs (3) * Nick Nagurka – engineer (all tracks)

References

{{Authority control Funk albums by American artists Funk albums 2022 albums