DANCE/ROCK
“Dynamite”
Jamiroquai
Epic
Jamiroquai moves people. This is, after all, the band that set up actor Jon Heder’s dance surprise in “Napoleon Dynamite.”
But these disco-funk cheerleaders are as much about fashion as they are about music, which is why Jamiroquai never releases filler-free albums. Opener “Feels Just Like It Should” hits the mark with computerized rhythms and Jason Kay’s characteristic cool. The band capitalizes on that momentum with “Dynamite” and “Electric Mistress,” a song that captures great night life the way few pop bands can. But “Talullah” borrows too much from the Wham! hit “Careless Whisper,” and the other ballads are lame, making this disc’s DVD material the real reason to buy it.
Jamiroquai headlines the Fillmore on Nov. 1.
– Elana Ashanti Jefferson
HIP-HOP
“Certified”
David Banner
SRC/Universal Records
In interviews, David Banner comes off as intelligent and revolutionary. Too bad that doesn’t translate to his music. Besides “Ridin’,” with dead prez and Talib Kweli, and a few other tracks, Banner hardly addresses the social issues he speaks to so well in the media.
Standouts are the X-rated “2 Fingers” and the single “Play.” Otherwise this is the same old gangsta cliché.
– Quibian Salazar-Moreno
REGGAE PLUS
“Welcome to Jamrock”
Damian Marley
Tuff Gong/Motown/Universal
Expectations are sky-high for any child of Bob Marley who chooses to make music. So with Damian Marley’s third album, “Welcome to Jamrock,” he made sure that every single note on this project was on point. The record is a first-class collection of reggae, hip-hop, dancehall and soul co-produced by and sometimes featuring his brother Stephen Marley.
Leading off the album is the fiery revolutionary track, “Confrontation,” which would make the most conservative listeners thrust their fists up. Other tracks, like the summer hit “Welcome to Jamrock,” “Road to Zion” featuring Nas, and “Move,” also have that anti-establishment tone and would be appropriate at any political protest.
Elsewhere on the album, Damian evokes his father’s romantic side with “There for You” and “Beautiful,” featuring Bobby Brown. The dance-club side is represented with “Hey Girl” and “In 2 Deep.” “Welcome to Jamrock” is definitely Jr. Gong’s best work and would certainly make his daddy proud.
– Quibian Salazar-Moreno
