Jamiroquai - Synkronized (1999) {Japan 1st Press}

With songs that fall exactly in between Michael Jackson's Off the Wall period and A Taste of Honey, Jamiroquai's Synkronized is a funk-disco inferno that is distinguished from its 1970s counterparts only by its 1990s production. It contains all the same ingredients: wah-wah guitar, electric piano, soft-sided strings oozing out melody, pot-bellied bass, and a blasted-out horn section that evokes images of three guys stepping in sync while their sequined flairs swipe over white patent-leather loafers. While the funk is steamy enough to flatten the tallest 'fro, Jay Kay's impeccable ability to emulate Stevie Wonder's vocals brings on the cool side. But the album isn't all about a time warp. Just when you think Jamiroquai isn't going to step a toe beyond 1978, "Supersonic," the seventh track, throws down an acid-house riff that works in didgeridoo and a synthed-out cow bell. "Where Do We Go from Here" rocks with a leap-frogging blues piano and tangy bongos. The album's grand finale, "King for a Day," is a regal rock-operatic excursion embellished with fully orchestrated piano and strings. Overall, this Jamiroquai jamfest is an irreplaceable summer-in-the-city album.


Three years after their breakout Travelling Without Moving, Jamiroquai returned with another album that charts Jay Kay's continuing fascination with club-bound music of the 1970s -- from disco to jazz-funk to rare groove to later Motown -- but also shows signs of maturity. Produced by Kay with Al Stone, who also collaborated on Travelling Without Moving, the album includes several tracks (like the single "Canned Heat") that work infectious acid jazz grooves, and Kay's hipster vocals give out feel-good vibes through a set of ambiguously good-time lyrics. Though other tracks show a bit of an electronica update to the affairs, each still spotlights how strong and tight the band is. It may not be a leap ahead in sound, but Synkronized is another solid Jamiroquai record.