After teasing us, rather delectably, with "Twerk" and "My Turn" during
their album release, Basement Jaxx returns with Scars. Their last
album, Crazy Itch Radio, was released in 2006 and since then we just
haven't gotten enough Jaxx. A few random tracks outside of the two I
just mentioned also found their way to a release, but it just didn't
seem like an album was coming up anytime soon. Thank goodness it did,
though, because I don't think I could have waited much longer without
rioting or something.
Shared Brilliance
Basement Jaxx is comprised of a couple of musical geniuses. Their magical, musical minds have led to previous works setting the bar impossibly high. It seems, at times, that there is no possible way for them to surpass the wonderful goodness they have already achieved, and yet somehow, miraculously, they do. Lead single "Raindrops" definitely proved that, the meshing of pure vocal pop with oddball electronica, setting everyone's senses on high. This was the Basement Jaxx song everyone was waiting for, and it was well worth the wait! This is the type of single you buy an album after, for better or for worse. So I bought Scars. And after first listen, I was so disappointed it hurt.Think Beyond Your Preconceptions
You see, as I stated earlier, Basement Jaxx has set the bar so high that, on Scars, rather than achieve higher than their typical standard, they stepped outside their comfort zone to approach new styles. Opening and title track "Scars" features Kelis, Meleka, Chipmunk, and the sexiest hip-hop/R&B groove I've heard in the past few years. It is not, by any stretch of the imagination, something I legitimately could expect from the duo, so when I cracked the album open and, with visible jitters, played what I thought would be a funky electronic jam with Kelis, I was both shocked and dismayed. What the heck was this? This feeling continued into the heavy, punchy, jazzy "She's No Good" which jives on a swing beat; past the disjointed ska "Saga" with Santigold; finally landing on the slow-groove "Stay Close."
I had no idea what was going on with Scars, and no idea what Basement
Jaxx was thinking. It took a moment of thinking outside of their
previous work, which I had come to love and consider some tracks part
of my personal soundtrack, to see what was really going on. This
perspective made a huge impact on how I perceived the album. Even
through the unexpected oddities of Scars, the patent idiosyncrasies
were sprinkled everywhere for patient listeners to discover.
Background vocal manipulations, frantic editing, and halting
instrumentation can be heard on nearly every track.
One review criticized "Scars" for sounding like a Timbaland knock-off,
and I think if I had read those words before realizing what "Scars"
actually was, that I might have felt the same. I don't think "Scars"
sounds like a Timbaland production, but given the prevalence of his
sound, it is easy to mistake the saturated nature of the production on
the cut. "Scars" is but the first show on Basement Jaxx's new album
that they can do anything well. I have shown the track to friends of
mine who don't listen to dance, who thrive off hip-hop and R&B, and
they have been thoroughly impressed. The same goes for "Stay Close,"
a song that strays as far from the typical Basement Jaxx mold as
possible. The track is emotional, romantic, whispery, slow, and
steady. Lisa Kekaula, who has provided her smoky vocals on previous
Basement Jaxx releases, handles the material with ease. The most
powerful moment in this smooth and pensive track is the whispered
sentiment, "You can trust me." In headphones, this statement is
filtered into the right side, like Lisa is next to you, whispering
this just to you and to no one else. It is a private moment, and it
comes across beautifully.
Working With Some of the Best
Big names are nothing new to Basement Jaxx, as they have collaborated with N'Sync alumni JC Chasez, Meshell N'degeocello, Martina Sorbara of Dragonette, Robyn, and others. For Scars, outside of Kelis, the duo has managed to work with even more. Yoko Ono, for one, lends her unique vocal talents to "Day of the Sunflowers (We March On)," a Stuart Price-esque dance number that is also the longest track on the album. Her vocal warbles have earned her an interesting place in musical history. If you can, and have, ignored the stigma that Ono attracted during her Beatles days, then you may find this performance quite interesting. Not only does she breathe heavily in that scary way she does, she also sings rather admirably during the track. Yes, she is an oddball, and I think that is why she fits so well with a Basement Jaxx production. This isn't a first though, as the duo remixed her track "Everyman, Everywoman."
