Jamiroquai: White Knuckle Ride
Dance funk fusion band cranks up more of that spanking Chic power
Jay Kay, frontman for UK funk group Jamiroquai, knows how to channel his inner cool on an upbeat song. Now at the threshold of 40, he’s still proving that age is nothing but a lousy number. On “White Knuckle Ride,” the first single launched from the band’s seventh LP Rock Dust Light Star, the funky band – still grooving with combustible youthfulness – pulls on the curtails of Chic and Change while mixing in the sonics of live house. The serene synths on the chorus are a beaut, but the bass lines of the verses and how Jay Kay glides his silky soulful vocals downward (“I’m serious/Trouble genie’s on the way”) are deeply entrancing. The sounds are what you’d expect from today’s Jamiroquai. Who could ask for anything more.
Americans, you have to wait a tad bit longer for the U.S. release date. It hasn’t been announced yet, but folk in Italy, Europe, Australia, Germany and France are already enjoying their copies.
J MATTHEW COBB
LISTEN TO:
JAMIROQUAI – WHITE KNUCKLE RIDE
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Rock Dust Light Star is an amazing ride from beginning to end. Although the album has not yet been released in the US, I own three copies: the regular version (12 songs), the deluxe edition (18 songs), and the Japanese version (19 songs). Why Americans aren’t clamoring for a release date for this album is beyond me. While fans all over the world are anticipating a phenomenal tour from one of the best live bands on the planet, the US market remains completly unplugged. Jamiroquai is tuned into the power of social media, and they book gigs where their fan bases are the most active. So what does that say about Americans? Crickets.
Thank you for your great review of this album!