Album Review : Basement Jaxx - Scars
- Written by Helen Szczupak
Basement Jaxx are back with their fifth album, following 2006 release Crazy Itch Radio. These are exciting times, or so we expect.The question is, is their time up? Having experienced the peak of their success with first albums Remedy and Rooty? Back then they were something a bit different, but have dance acts with new points of difference such as Pendulum stolen the attention?
Scars allows Basement Jaxx to call upon some famous collaborators. Not shy to the world of using guest vocalists, this is not a new concept; but the line-up on this album is somewhat fierce. Sam Sparro, Chipmunk, Kelis, Lightspeed Champion and even Yoko Ono. Well if nothing else the album sleeve line-up will certainly get people talking...
Summer top twenty hit 'Raindrops' kicks off the album with a rare showcasing of Felix's own vocals. The first question we ask ourselves is where has the power behind their tracks gone? The essence is there but it lacks the face and impact that we have come to know this duo for. With vocal distortion effects there are some points of interest but they are rather few and far between. It is all a little too mediocre and lacklustre, surely they have more to offer? In time this track is a grower but it is certainly no 'Bingo Bango'. A track to please fans but it will certainly gain no new ones.
By the time 'Twerk' kicks in we start to lose all hope. This very American sounding track with its hip hop intro (Is this a Black Eyed Peas album?) is far too all over the place. There is no focus and it causes some irritation to the ears. This track is bizarre and certainly not in a unique and likeable way. We are quickly losing faith.
'Feelings Gone' comes just in time; we were just about to give up hope. With recognisable Sam Sparro vocals and the strings we know from Basement Jaxx classics such as 'Good Luck' we have our interest immediately restored. This track works well, with a great contrast created between Sparro's soulful voice and Basement Jaxx's ability to great groovy electro vibes. They may have just saved this album.
'Saga' featuring Santigold leaves us thinking that in an industry where there are so many artists they need to gain back their instantaneously addictive vibes else their time may well be up.
'My Turn', a collaboration with Lightspeed Champion is the highlight of this album right from the start. My what a contrast, but it works perfectly. The laid back vocals infused against the trademark Basement Jaxx sound is unique and endearing. On paper this idea was a long shot but in reality it is a stonker. It is probably not Basement Jaxx single material but it is an album track that makes this album noteworthy. With hints of Remedy strings, our opinion on this album has just done a full 360 degrees. But this is short lived.
The most obscure and bizarre award for a track goes to 'Day Of The Sunflowers (We March On)'. With a surprisingly positive and dance-fused intro we expected something a little more mellow considering it is a collaboration with Yoko Ono. It is obscure, hearing Yoko's vocals on such an electro-vibed track. Is this just because we know who she is? If this vocalist were not famous would this track just be written off as a failure? It becomes even more bizarre halfway through and we cannot decide if the track actually works or not, so fazed we are by this extremely random collaboration. But there is just something mildly likeable about it.... and when we say mild we mean mild.
The final three tracks of the album become lost and confusing. They don't fit and it feels like they have been included to fill a gap.
Scars is far from what we were expecting. A listen to a Basement Jaxx album normally brings thoughts of going out and having fun in a club, but we finish this album feeling somewhat mellow and disappointed. If there were three words to sum it up they would surely be obscure, unpredictable and filler. In a suffering industry that is drowned in acts, we may just find that Basement Jaxx's fifth album is their last. Let's hope next time around they remember what we knew and loved them for.