"Rock Dust, Light Star" by Jamiroquai

Are you ready to get funky?

I got funky this week with Jamiroquai's Rock Dust, Light Star. Nothing could seem less likely for me to love than acid jazz that sounds like it belongs on the soundtrack for Austin Powers, Goldmember. But did I ever love it. The music is undeniably groovy and put a smile on my face with every listen. It certainly provided me with much needed break from the heavy emotional through lines I typically seek in my music choices.

Jamiroquai is UK based jam band featuring elements of funk, disco, jazz, soul and electronic pop. Their success as a band has spanned an incredible 20 years and they are still actively performing. Their first single was released in 1992 and their most recent album, Rock Dust, Light Star, in 2010. Musicians from the group have come and gone over the years but lead singer Jay Kay's falsetto vocals have remained a constant fixture and unifying part of Jamiroquai's musical identitiy. For music that lays in such a specific niche, it's incredible that they've never gone out of style and maintained a fashion-proof sound.

Jamiroquai is a portmanteau of the word's "Jam" and "Iroquois"

Listening in Stages

First, I listened to the album casually, once through. From the downbeat of the first track I delighted in the upbeat rythyms and funky bass lines. The music made me smile and feel good on a very basic level. Despite its newness, it has a retro sound that made me feel nostalgic for a time in music history that easily predates me by 30 years. It's like digging into your parents records and finding something amazing that leaves you wonderstruck at the notion that things this cool existed long before you were a twinkle in their eye. Of course, the music is new and only a reflection of a time gone by, so it's nostalgia is fabricated. Still, its ability to make me feel this way is a mark of it's musical integrity and stylistic authenticity.

Then, I listened again, with more intention, and began to hear the music. I would isolate certain tracks and listen to them a few times through, picking out individual nuances, guitar riffs, and lyrical one-liners . This brought forth the band's obvious talents and magnified my respect for them. As I worked my way through the album in this manner, my favorite tracks emerged.


Finally, I allowed my familiarity with the music to guide my intellectual and emotional exploration. As I listened to the songs I allowed my mind to wander and form questions about the music. Then I sought out the answers to the questions my mind had formed. What does "Rock Dust, Light Star"mean? Is it a drug reference? Would I like this album even more if I were high? Can I relate to the lyrics in "Hurtin'"? Do all of Jamiroquai's albums sound similar to this album? Why does this song make me want to wear my sparkly tank top and dance around in my underwear with the windows open? All important things to consider.

Once you build a familiarity with a body of music or a particular song, you start to experience the lyrics and understand the intention behind the tracks without having to try so hard. The music becomes easier to listen to, less labored and you start to feel like you know it. When you begin to know music in this way, you can take ownership of it. It is now your music.

Completing my ownership of the music involves reading lyrics, researching the band, exploring their other albums, reading what others have written about them and finally incorporating the music into my life and various daily playlists (if it is so deserving.)

To be sure, this process of exploration cannot be completed in just one week. It is ongoing. Each time the music is revisited something new will emerge.


Favorite Tracks

"Rock Dust, Light Star"

"Hurtin'" This is a jazz track through and through. The music is kissed with melancholy but still kinetic and full of energy. All the hurt is worked out in the music and poured into the lyrics triumphantly.

"Smoke and Mirrors"  Once the bass line dropped on the track I was instantly reminded of Stevie Wonder's "You Haven't Done Nothin.'" The interplay between the rhthym, brass and electric guitar are in similar taste. The use of wordplay and storytelling in the song is also reminiscent. Jay Kay's vocal tone is less bright than Stevie's but every bit as agile. Clearly the legend was an inspiration for the modern incarnation.

"Lifeline" 

Concluding thoughts...

As I listened this week I kept thinking "I don't think i'm supposed to like this music." It's exactly the sort of gimmicky funk that should send me snickering in the other direction. Right? But it had a much more positive impact than I anticipated. It just goes to show that you should never judge music by it's labels or allow yourself to form preconceptions. Gimmicky or not, Jamiroquai is a lot of fun and i'm enormously glad that I looked past my skepticism to give this jam band an honest listen.


(Big Thanks to Jon Metcalf for this weeks album suggestion.)

Coming up next week: "Kill the Moonlight" by Spoon on VINYL!!!