Jamiroquai

Travelling Without Moving (Work)

On this joint, Jamiroquai expands his influences beyond the early '70s Stevie Wonder vibe that marked his last release, The Return of the Space Cowboy. Several of the tracks, including the opener "Virtual Insanity," have the signature instrumentation for classic pop funk - upbeat and rollicking piano, sprightly analog synthesizer and subsonic bass guitar - but just don't come together with memorable hooks or melodies. "Use the Force" admirably recalls the Latino funk of War and Mandrill with an appropriately kitschy reference to Star Wars, but it's hard to recommend that you should run out and pick up Travelling Without Moving over albums by those bands which can probably be found in the bargain bin. That's not to say this album doesn't have its outstanding moments. "Alright" and the title track are good enough to be album cuts from Chic and Mr. Wonder. Best overall prognosis: convince a friend to buy it and tape the best tracks.

- Neil Gladstone

Bjork

Telegram (Elektra)

Don't call this a remix - call it a rethink. Bjork, the quirky mistress of shaded electro-pulse mayhem, teams with a diverse crew of audio-rethinkers to form entirely new visions of works from Post and Debut. Not the type of tunes you'd dance to unless Thorazine was available in regular doses, Telegram never maintains one mood or challenges too long. Though "You've Been Flirting Again" starts off quietly, it quickly turns into a Nelson Riddle-d symphony - lush with emotional strings. The once super-sensual "Headphones" (written with then-beau Tricky) now stands atmospherically alone - its humping bass leaves lust in the dust and replaces it with a stillborn hollow. At this maelstrom's center is Bjork's soprano squealing and crooning - acting, really - as a series of characters in a disjointed film with several soundtracks spinning simultaneously.

- a.d. amorosi

Pavement

Brighten The Corners (Matador)

Perhaps Pavement's most cohesive work to date, Brighten The Corners (or is that Bright In The Corners?) goes beyond the pop constructions of Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain and the festively sloppy experiments of Wowee Zowee. Stephen Malkmus' jaded vocals are at their crooning prime - up front on this one, they almost sound affable (almost). There's even a good chunk of '90s romantic irony on songs like "Shady Lane" or "Date With Ikea."

The Pavement trademarks are there: thick, spare and strummy guitars; pop-culture referencing in the lyrics ("What about the voice of Geddy Lee. How did it get so high. I wonder if he speaks like an ordinary guy?") and the sound (Velvets, Stones and Beatles, with Genesis, Boston and Marillion seeming to float in subconsciously); wonderfully pretentious word twists ("A redder shade of neck on a whiter shade of trash and this emory board is givin' me a rash"). Here, Malkmus' intonation is the key - he makes snottiness work. As he sings in "Blue Hawaiian:" "Aloha means goodbye/ and also hello/ it's in how you inflect/ put the bark in the dog/ and you've got a guardian....").

Co-produced by Mitch Easter (of R.E.M. album fame), Pavement and Bryce Goggin (Spacehog and Lemonheads), Brighten offers a narrower range of styles than either Wowee or Crooked, little that's messy and some playful sampling, especially on "Stereo" - watch that one actually get radio play.

There are solid corners to these songs, and their edges glisten.

- Margit Detweiler

Various Artists

Gree-tah = Scream (Grita!)

Former Bad Religion drummer Jay Ziskrout launched his Grita! label last year to focus attention on Latin punk and alternative bands. Gree-tah = Scream compiles eight of Grita!'s early signings onto one 16-song sampler featuring tracks sung not only in Spanish, but also in Portuguese, English, and the Basque language. The bands' musical styles run the gamut of the genres dubbed "alternative." Pop punk (Los Mas Turbados), garage (the Pleasure Fuckers), hardcore (Cerebros Exprimidos), rock (the Psychotic Aztecs), and metal (Todos Tus Muertos) are all included, as are occasional touches of world beat or Caribbean music. While several groups offer exciting performances, Todos Tus Muertos is hands-down the label's premier band. These Argentinean Rasta punks combine hip-hop, reggae, and dancehall influences with a metal and punk foundation to create a sound that is just getting started where Bad Brains leaves off. Gree-tah = Scream provides an engaging introduction to one of the most intriguing labels to throw its hat into the ring.

- Chris Nelson

 

 

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