Jamiroquai

Funk Odyssey

Jamiroquai's "Odyssey" is a journey already taken

Review Score:

(4/10)
Jamiroquai's style has always been retro, but is it already time to rehash their own sound? Either that or the stuck-in-the-70's Brit funk outfit has simply run out of ideas, as "A Funk Odyssey" contains more sweeping strings over disco rhythms, more computerized vocals, more frantically-plucked guitars...basically, more of what we've heard from them before.

This isn't to say that the record isn't funky; Jamiroquai still serves up grooves that tremble and quake, and chances are, so will you. And yes, lead singer Jay still has plenty of soul and charisma. But "Feel So Good" and "You Give Me Somethin" are as boring as their titles, and throughout the record it takes an attentive ear to distinguish the songs from the band's previous compositions. The set isn't a total wash; "Love Foolosophy" is bursting at the seams with killer hooks, and "Little L" is so funky it almost hurts; before the vocal begins you'd swear you were listening to early Prince. And points are given for the elegance (not to mention bravery) of a pair of Bossa Nova ballads, "Corner of the Earth" and "Picture of My Life" (the latter being the stronger of the two). But after summing up the project as a whole, "A Funk Odyssey" feels disappointingly lazy and routine...can a Greatest Hits be far behind? Mind you, it'll sound just like this.

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