Luscious Jackson Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
Reversing course from the kaleidoscopic pop of Fever in Fever Out, Electric Honey finds Luscious Jackson narrowing their focus, concentrating more on groove and texture than full-fledged songs. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, since their albums always had strong rhythm, but Electric Honey tends to float away. Somewhere along the way, Luscious Jackson smoothed out all their quirks and grit, shaping their sound into an appealingly funky, multilayered, post-alternative pop groove. On the surface, or as background music, it's quite pleasing, but it's never really compelling, especially since many of the songs are never really about anything -- which is especially frustrating since the opening pair of "Nervous Breakthrough" and "Ladyfingers" are terrific continuations of Fever In. After that opening, Electric Honey doesn't begin to unravel as much as it settles into its own mire, recycling sounds familiar from its two predecessors, while offering slight songs about "Summer Daze," "Sexy Hypnotist"s, "Friends," "Alien Lover"s, and "Space Diva"s. The fluffiness of the songs wouldn't matter if each song had its own distinct feel. Instead, the entire album is variations on a groove -- breezy and enjoyable, to be sure, but nevertheless a little too lightweight to really take hold. Lightweight songwriting also suggests that Luscious Jackson may be running out of ideas, and it's hard to shake the impression that no matter how enjoyable certain parts of Electric Honey are, it finds the band treading water, not breaking new ground. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Fever In Fever Out'
Release Date 10/29/1996
Tracks 14
Label Grand Royal
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
For all of its sunny eclecticism, Natural Ingredients lacked the darkly funky urban soundscapes that made In Search of Manny so engaging. Fever in Fever Out brings that dark funkiness while keeping the pop hooks that made Natural Ingredients a step forward. Producer Daniel Lanois keeps his ambient tendencies to a minimum, providing just enough atmosphere to make songs as catchy as the jazzy, intricate "Naked Eye" surprisingly haunting. But what really impresses is the sense of forward motion Luscious Jackson displays on Fever in Fever Out, how their eclecticism is becoming more seamless as their songs grow stronger. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Luscious Jackson's debut EP, In Search of Manny, was a hipster favorite, setting the band up perfectly for a breakthrough to a larger audience with its first full-length album, 1994's Natural Ingredients. Given the richness of Manny, it seemed like the group could go any number of ways. The road the band chose, unfortunately, was the least adventurous. Instead of exploring the debut's darker recesses, the band smoothed the surfaces and turned on the sunshine, resulting in a record significantly brighter than the debut, but also considerably less compelling. Although Manny never quite deviated from its homemade rap-rock template, it always felt unpredictable; here, the music starts with the sunny, bustling "Citysong" and stays in a similar funky alt-rock groove for the remainder of the album. It's an appealing sound, particularly for the summer, but it's also a little monotonous, particularly because the songwriting isn't nearly as strong as it was on the EP. There are a few exceptions to the rule -- "Citysong" and "Deep Shag" both exploit this brighter sound well -- but they're all pushed to the front of the record, and they're overshadowed by the rest of the record, which is all rather formless (even the sociopolitical posturing feels directionless, never resonating as strongly as the sketches of urban life from Manny). So, this is a groove record, where the feel and the rhythms matter more than the individual songs, which wouldn't be bad if the grooves had variety or grit. As it stands, it's a nice, listenable record, but ultimately a little forgettable, which is a considerable disappointment after the rich In Search of Manny, which had feel, varied grooves, imagination, and songs. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
