CD Reviews

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM

JAMIE LIDELL

Jim (Warp)
Firing up a funky-assed wayback machine

So-called “blue-eyed” retro soul has regained lost ground in the past few years — specifically thanks to the likes of Amy Winehouse and her squeaky-clean counterpart Joss Stone — and it's no accident that the resurgence is largely a British phenomenon. Generations of mopheaded English kids have grown up around Northern soul, Brit funk and reggae crooners, so it only makes sense that a bloke as talented, for example, as Jamie Lidell should have found his inner Stevie Wonder on the excellent Multiply in 2005.

Lidell is at it again on Jim, and while the jury is still out on whether he'll ever touch the darker — and more exciting — depths he reached with Super Collider (his weirdly engaging glam-tech duo with Cristian Vogel) or even on such Multiply moments as “When I Come Back Around,” he still delivers on standouts like “Green Light” (conjuring Fresh-era Sly Stone) and “Hurricane” (an uptempo acid-funk ode to the Isley Brothers). “Figured Me Out” gets a little too Jamiroquai-cute, but even Lidell's weaker cuts shine with stellar production values that place you smack in the middle of the time he dials in, be it late-'60s Memphis or mid-'80s L.A. — Bill Murphy

KOOL G RAP

Half a Klip (Chinga Chang/Latchkey)
A semi-new short from a legend

As a fair warning to Kool G Rap fans, this mini-album is not entirely composed of new material (although even the unreleased joints featured are relatively good). Those that say this Queens, N.Y., native is beyond his prime need to check the Domingo-produced “100 Rounds” — a thick funk-filled banger that sees G Rap spit his verbal artillery in his classic hardcore styling. The introspective single “On the Rise Again,” produced by the still on-point DJ Premier, is also a hit with its impacting output. Even without many revelations, this EP shouldn't disappoint G Rap loyalists. — Max Herman

ELIOT LIPP

The Outside (Mush)
Gritty analog funkster hits the mark

With his latest album, The Outside, Eliot Lipp brings 12 tracks of beat-fueled, modern trip-hop that make a perfect soundtrack for the city streets. Lipp's analog synth-based sound mixes the urban vibes of DJ Shadow with the glitch-hop stylings of Dabrye and Prefuse 73, adding just a tinge of '80s. His sound isn't strikingly original at first listen, but there is something unique there that keeps evolving with each release. Album highlights are in tracks like “Beyond the City” and “The Area,” which offer up heavy doses of gritty electro-funk that are bound to get heads nodding. — Dustin Glick

MIGUEL MIGS

Those Things Remixed (Salted)
Funk gets funkier

It's pretty hard to make Miguel Migs sound funkier than he already does, but a group of eclectic producers gave the S.F. Bay Area DJ a funk and R&B makeover. On this album, the organic, live feel that typifies Migs' style is still present. Slap- and slide-bass licks, shimmying guitar riffs and hand drums are heavy throughout. But tracks like Faze Action's Afro-tronic interpretation of “Fire” take it to a new level. The perfect blend of Afro-funk and house rhythms, with blaring horns, rolling bass lines and enthusiastic chanting make you feel like you're at some off-the-chain Afro-funk street festival. — Jason Jurgens

MOE POPE & HEADNODIC PRESENT...

Megaphone (NatAural High/Koch)
A productive reunion

The names Headnodic and Moe Pope may not immediately ring a bell. But between this producer and MC, the two have put in their fair share of work coming up with the Bay Area group Mission and through other side projects. Reunited as Megaphone, the duo offers a strong range of sonic focus and a steady supply of uplifting lyricism. The 808-inspired “Danger Danger” is a retro success, while the double-time Middle Eastern energy of “Zuh Zuh Zuh” is what left-field hip-hop should sound like. The only issue with the album is the length, which eventually slows the momentum. — Max Herman

THESE NEW PURITANS

Beat Pyramid (Domino)
A dynamic and enigmatic beginning

These audacious invading Brits start things at the ending and make it back around through focused musical maneuvers and Jack Barnett's cryptic lyrical shards. Words and sounds play out twin themes of numerology and repetition, with Barnett's intense delivery leading the charge over evolving post-punk landscapes where no drum is left unpummeled and thick synths frame the guitar and bass. The inquisitory “Numerology (aka Numbers)” sets the tone, and questions, confusion and paranoia endure in songs “Elvis” and “£4” before things smooth over, eventually fading into mystery. — Noah Levine

VARIOUS ARTIST

Wait til the Ice Melts (Exponential)
Won't be long now

Texas talent delivers hugely on Wait til the Ice Melts in lazing electronic instrumentals and hip-hop. San Antonio producer Diego Chavez's short “Forgive Me” is a class stunner, bridging Madlib's snare punches with lush string segments. Chavez shares his first name (and, evidently, a trained ear) with crate-digging Diego Bernal. “Father's Son” matches Bernal's mastery with sample editing and a knack for pulling the perfect groove, while Ernest Gonzales spreads Mush Records-esque digital warmth for his “Caviar, Cigarettes, Dynamite, & Laserbeams.” Bright new names here. — Dominic Umile

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