Jamiroquai - Automaton
Automaton
Jamiroquai
Tiger Rating: 3.5 / 10
Soul & Funk / Disco
"Dinosaurs will die!" declared Fat Mike of punk band NOFX fame in 2000.
At the turn of the century the music scene had been descended upon by a host of skimpily dressed teeny boppers and gyrating Latinos, each one a product of the latter half of the 90s. The ones who had soared to fame in the decadence of the 80s struggled to assert themselves a few years later when the miry swamp that was grunge began dominating the airwaves. There was room to grow and manouvre when Cobain put a bullet in the genre a few years later, and by the mid 90s, the music industry was a free for all.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers had lost their guitarist and with him their charming bombast. Madonna had recently converted to Kabalaism and was doing her goth thing in the desert with EDM producer William Orbit.
Björk was punching photographers in airports.
Daft Punk went to number one with three words and Alanis Morisette was one pissed Canadian.
Genres like third wave ska, old skool rap and industrial big beat, driven by bands like No Doubt, Beastie Boys, Run DMC and The Prodigy respectively, managed to elbow their way through to stake their claim on the charts, providing yet more variety and flavours.
And then there was Jamiroquai.
To say that "Virtual Insanity" was a hit would be an understatement. It was into the chaotic musical landscape that was the 90s, that Jay Kay slid and grooved his way across that floor of that video. If delicately sidestepping furniture and objects could look any suaver, then no one was doing it. It was the first the American market had heard from this diminutive English funk machine, and his flavour was tossed into the salad bowl that was the 90s charts and digested greedily.
But the consuming public's tastes evolve and few bands manage to adapt. The very rigid musical genres often feel the tension of this and, like the mighty Tyrannoaurs struggling to escape that impending asteroid, few of the dominating bands managed to crawl out of the wreckage that was the post 90s music scene.
Enter Jamiroquai 4.0
Unfortunately it still bears little difference to Jamiroquai 1.0
In the video for the lead single 'Automaton', Jay is sporting a rather futuristic Sonic The Hedgehog hat. One that moves and pulsates with light. Unfortunately, this is the most innovative thing about the single. And there are fewer surprises to be found elsewhere on the LP.
My problem is this: if you are a band who loves disco, do you really have to sing about loving disco? I mean we get it. No it's not meta or cool, it's just obvious.
It's not like we didn't get it with your Stevie Wonder vocals, your "space funk" keyboards and sound effects, or your strobing Sonic hat. In fact, it's not like we've never heard it all before.
For that matter, a band that dedicates an entire album to "technology" and "the future" have made remarkably little progress and done very little experimentation beyond their sound.
If there's anything that the bands of the 90s taught us by rehashing genres like breakdance or punk or ska, it's that you have to bring something new to the table or don't bring it at all. Endlessly repeating yourself in different words with different tempos is pointless, ultimately.
When Daft Punk released their polarising come back 'Random Access Memories' in 2013, it was clear from the onset that this record was an ode to disco. It wasn't just 'Get Lucky' - throughout the 14 track extended version the duo mined the genre and produced glimmering gems, each one lovingly polished. And yet it all sounds forward focused and fresh. There is an art about these things.
So when Jay Kay breaks it down in a Debbie Harry type rap a la 'Rapture' on not one, not two, but three tracks, it feels like less of an homage and more like he ran out of ideas.
"Rock me baby / do it to me baby" the female vocalist coos on the (un)ironically titled 'Superfresh'. The disco-by-numbers approach apparently extends to crafting lyrics.
Jamiroquai
Tiger Rating: 3.5 / 10
Soul & Funk / Disco
"Dinosaurs will die!" declared Fat Mike of punk band NOFX fame in 2000.
At the turn of the century the music scene had been descended upon by a host of skimpily dressed teeny boppers and gyrating Latinos, each one a product of the latter half of the 90s. The ones who had soared to fame in the decadence of the 80s struggled to assert themselves a few years later when the miry swamp that was grunge began dominating the airwaves. There was room to grow and manouvre when Cobain put a bullet in the genre a few years later, and by the mid 90s, the music industry was a free for all.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers had lost their guitarist and with him their charming bombast. Madonna had recently converted to Kabalaism and was doing her goth thing in the desert with EDM producer William Orbit.
Björk was punching photographers in airports.
Daft Punk went to number one with three words and Alanis Morisette was one pissed Canadian.
Genres like third wave ska, old skool rap and industrial big beat, driven by bands like No Doubt, Beastie Boys, Run DMC and The Prodigy respectively, managed to elbow their way through to stake their claim on the charts, providing yet more variety and flavours.
And then there was Jamiroquai.
To say that "Virtual Insanity" was a hit would be an understatement. It was into the chaotic musical landscape that was the 90s, that Jay Kay slid and grooved his way across that floor of that video. If delicately sidestepping furniture and objects could look any suaver, then no one was doing it. It was the first the American market had heard from this diminutive English funk machine, and his flavour was tossed into the salad bowl that was the 90s charts and digested greedily.
But the consuming public's tastes evolve and few bands manage to adapt. The very rigid musical genres often feel the tension of this and, like the mighty Tyrannoaurs struggling to escape that impending asteroid, few of the dominating bands managed to crawl out of the wreckage that was the post 90s music scene.
Enter Jamiroquai 4.0
Unfortunately it still bears little difference to Jamiroquai 1.0
In the video for the lead single 'Automaton', Jay is sporting a rather futuristic Sonic The Hedgehog hat. One that moves and pulsates with light. Unfortunately, this is the most innovative thing about the single. And there are fewer surprises to be found elsewhere on the LP.
My problem is this: if you are a band who loves disco, do you really have to sing about loving disco? I mean we get it. No it's not meta or cool, it's just obvious.
It's not like we didn't get it with your Stevie Wonder vocals, your "space funk" keyboards and sound effects, or your strobing Sonic hat. In fact, it's not like we've never heard it all before.
For that matter, a band that dedicates an entire album to "technology" and "the future" have made remarkably little progress and done very little experimentation beyond their sound.
If there's anything that the bands of the 90s taught us by rehashing genres like breakdance or punk or ska, it's that you have to bring something new to the table or don't bring it at all. Endlessly repeating yourself in different words with different tempos is pointless, ultimately.
When Daft Punk released their polarising come back 'Random Access Memories' in 2013, it was clear from the onset that this record was an ode to disco. It wasn't just 'Get Lucky' - throughout the 14 track extended version the duo mined the genre and produced glimmering gems, each one lovingly polished. And yet it all sounds forward focused and fresh. There is an art about these things.
So when Jay Kay breaks it down in a Debbie Harry type rap a la 'Rapture' on not one, not two, but three tracks, it feels like less of an homage and more like he ran out of ideas.
"Rock me baby / do it to me baby" the female vocalist coos on the (un)ironically titled 'Superfresh'. The disco-by-numbers approach apparently extends to crafting lyrics.
"She sips her limoncillo / all dressed in Capudine / it's gonna take a special fellow / to melt this icy queen"
Make. Him. Stop.
The most positive aspect of this album is it genuinely sounds like Jay and co are having fun. With the hottest summer in years forecast for the UK, this album could be just the thing for a number of people. It's lack of innovation may not be a problem for some, who might just be feeling happier with the longer days and the sunshine, and willing to dance to any old shite you put on. The grooves are relentless and in a few tracks ('Automaton', 'Hot Property', 'Something About You'), there are some genuinely catchy break downs.
Whilst it may not be the most innovative use of genre rehashing, and whilst it's definitely not a step forward in the bands discography, the biggest crime with 'Automaton' is that it is a missed opportunity. Some may admire a band's resolute faithfulness to a particular genre, but perhaps it's only the animals that learn to adapt that find the key to survival.
WVS
Make. Him. Stop.
The most positive aspect of this album is it genuinely sounds like Jay and co are having fun. With the hottest summer in years forecast for the UK, this album could be just the thing for a number of people. It's lack of innovation may not be a problem for some, who might just be feeling happier with the longer days and the sunshine, and willing to dance to any old shite you put on. The grooves are relentless and in a few tracks ('Automaton', 'Hot Property', 'Something About You'), there are some genuinely catchy break downs.
Whilst it may not be the most innovative use of genre rehashing, and whilst it's definitely not a step forward in the bands discography, the biggest crime with 'Automaton' is that it is a missed opportunity. Some may admire a band's resolute faithfulness to a particular genre, but perhaps it's only the animals that learn to adapt that find the key to survival.
WVS
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