Funk Odyssey

Jamiroquai: Jay Kay (vocals); Rob Harris (guitar); Toby Smith (keyboards); Nick Fyffe (bass); Derrick McKenzie (drums); Sola Akingbola (percussion).
Additional personnel: Paul Stoney (programming).
The indifferent welcome accorded 1999's SYNCHRONIZED may have thrown British funk outfit Jamiroquai off following the smashing success of 1997'S TRAVELLING WITHOUT MOVING, but the British funk outfit rebounded nicely with 2001's introspective and invigorating A FUNK ODYSSEY. Frontman Jay Kay continues to sound like Stevie Wonder's long-lost son as he mixes in the bossa nova-influenced "Picture Of My Life" with harder-driving fare like the theme-song-looking-for-a-blaxploitation-movie "Main Event."
Stretching out, Jamiroquai also includes other introspective excursions like the folk-tinged "Black Crow" as well as the beautifully spiritual "Corner Of The Earth." Longtime fans need not fear, as moving people's feet remains a big part of the equation, whether it's the Kraftwerk-style breaks of "2001," the infectious house vibe of the first single "Little L," or the bottom-heavy bang of "You Give Me Something." The combination of carefully penned lyrics and unrelenting grooves makes Jamiroquai one of the few contemporary groups cleaving to the P-Funk mantra that if you free your mind, your ass will follow.