So far, the Basement Jaxx of this decade have felt very different from the Jaxx of the early '00s. They've put out albums sporadically instead of matching the every-other-year pace they set after their debut, Remedy. They've tuned in more to chill-out and coffee-shop world music than the demented, amp-straining dance-pop of their early hits. Now well into the elder-stateseman, post-retrospective singles collection era of their career, Basement Jaxx can seem more like a concern for pop traditionalists than dance devotees.
Though the spiky energy of their youth has been reduced to a low boil, Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe still have a weirdo vision of global fusion music, albeit one that traffics in smoother, more even-handed production. Their new album, Junto, is a stylistically diverse collection of bright-eyed, eccentric pop anthems about "flying like eagles," being free like unicorns and welcoming contact from alien life forms. Depending on the listener, this eccentricity may either charm or grate—over the years, Basement Jaxx's goofy, rudimentary approach to lyrics hasn't smoothed out as much as their dexterous production style has. But if you can get past the inherent silliness of two 40-something-year-old white dudes penning an over-stuffed track called "Power To The People," there are some genuinely pleasurable pop confections on Junto.
One of the best moments is the fairly straight-ahead dance number "Unicorn," which takes a stab at the current vogue of house-flavored pop music by tapping into '90s rave. Heady rushes of percussion are scattered throughout the album, especially on "What's The News" and "Mermaid Of Salinas." "Summer Dem," a kitschy dose of sample-heavy euphoria, receives a jolt of personality from Glaswegian rapper Patricia Panther. Still, too much of Junto sounds faceless, an unintended consequence of its packed roster of guests and the inclusive messages they're called upon to sing. On "We Are Not Alone," universalist sentiments turn literal as singer Meleka coos above what sounds like a tangle of satellite-received alien voices: "it's so nice—we found contact!" It's nice indeed, but it may leave you craving something a little stronger.
Though the spiky energy of their youth has been reduced to a low boil, Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe still have a weirdo vision of global fusion music, albeit one that traffics in smoother, more even-handed production. Their new album, Junto, is a stylistically diverse collection of bright-eyed, eccentric pop anthems about "flying like eagles," being free like unicorns and welcoming contact from alien life forms. Depending on the listener, this eccentricity may either charm or grate—over the years, Basement Jaxx's goofy, rudimentary approach to lyrics hasn't smoothed out as much as their dexterous production style has. But if you can get past the inherent silliness of two 40-something-year-old white dudes penning an over-stuffed track called "Power To The People," there are some genuinely pleasurable pop confections on Junto.
One of the best moments is the fairly straight-ahead dance number "Unicorn," which takes a stab at the current vogue of house-flavored pop music by tapping into '90s rave. Heady rushes of percussion are scattered throughout the album, especially on "What's The News" and "Mermaid Of Salinas." "Summer Dem," a kitschy dose of sample-heavy euphoria, receives a jolt of personality from Glaswegian rapper Patricia Panther. Still, too much of Junto sounds faceless, an unintended consequence of its packed roster of guests and the inclusive messages they're called upon to sing. On "We Are Not Alone," universalist sentiments turn literal as singer Meleka coos above what sounds like a tangle of satellite-received alien voices: "it's so nice—we found contact!" It's nice indeed, but it may leave you craving something a little stronger.
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Published /
Wed / 10 Sep 2014 -
Words /
Abby Garnett -
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Tracklist /
01. Intro
02. Power to the People
03. Unicorn
04. Never Say Never
05. We Are Not Alone
06. What’s The News
07. Summer Dem
08. Buffalo
09. Rock This Road
10. Sneakin’ Toronto
11. Something About You
12. Mermaid of Salinas
13. Love Is At Your Side
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