After the jarring reception of 1999's
Synkronized,
Jamiroquai constructed
A Funk Odyssey, something more polished and slick inside the band's own brand of funky
disco-
rock.
Jason Kay and keyboardist/songwriter
Toby Smith perfected a maturation that was left keyed in
Travelling Without Moving but left open-ended on
Synkronized for a wide scope of musical delight.
A Funk Odyssey taps into various illustrious grooves of the
Latin world, classic
rock, and mainstream
club culture, and
Jamiroquai is tight and eager to make everyone shake their groove thing in their own light. The first single,
"Little L," beams with
Kajagoogoo-like synths while warping into a
funk-driven hue of
orchestral whirlpools, but
Jamiroquai allows the band's extroverted and unattached personality to shine on the
worldbeat-tinged
"Corner of the Earth." Kay strips aside all
disco humor and grandeur for something personally inviting, something that's heartfelt, too.
A Funk Odyssey sparks classic enthusiasm, and it feels good. Dance music is not just a design, it's something far more tangible, and
Jamiroquai surely captures a fierce desire to make it more emotional on the band's own level. ~ MacKenzie Wilson
