Magic Jackson leader Nathan Lewis is in a quandary. ICB Records released the band’s solid new album at Canal Street on Tavern on Saturday, September 15 but he has mixed emotions because “Venus in Transit” wasn’t completed to his satisfaction due to time constraints.

Lewis is relieved to have the album coming out after two years’ of sporadic recording with Todd Huffman at International College of Broadcasting, but says he and bandmates John Arthur Gentry Jr. (guitar), Mike McKewen (bass) and Rob Brockman (drums, vocals) needed more time to make the project into the album they initially envisioned.

“Honestly, we’d still be working on the album if we didn’t have this release date,” Lewis said. “I know it’s not a good way to promote the album, but I don’t think any of us are still happy with the mixes. Of course, I don’t know any musician that is going to be totally happy. Is anything every totally finished? At some point you just have to sort of walk away.”

This is not to say “Venus in Transit,” the follow-up to 2009’s “Freak Tab,” is a bad album. Far from it, in fact. Magic Jackson comes correct with a dirty batch of streetwise funk-rock, ranging from the lighthearted (“Lady Thang”) to bitter breakup songs (“Garage”) and social commentary (“Money”). Through it all the band delivers scintillating grooves, sizzling guitar interplay and sing-along choruses.

The proceedings received an extra boost from a few guest musicians. Local musicians Danny Sauer (saxophone), Stan Middleton (trombone) and Wade Baker (trumpet) performed on “Do You Right,” while Cincinnati singers Ebony Oliver and Brittnee Rutland provided backing vocals on songs like “Money” and “Lady Thang.”

“We were going for that Dayton funk groove, and I think the female vocals really set that off,” Lewis said. “Having them come up was one of the coolest recording sessions I’ve ever been able to be a part of. We didn’t want to do too much, because we wanted to keep it more oriented to our four-piece lineup. We just made it so the horn section and female vocals add just another layer of spice to what we’ve got going on.

“I know I was complaining a little bit before, but we really are excited to have the album done,” he said. “It’s one of those things where it’s been finished in our heads for so long. It’s been a long time coming, so I can’t wait for people to finally get a chance to hear it.”