Volumizer

Alternative Press - 4 out of 5 - "...A dud-free joint....quivering new-wave synth flourishes, melodic guitars, thumping bass bobble and slid flow..." CMJ - "...A fun-lovin'...unique hip-hop/rock exploration....[with] a positive outlook that's refreshing..."

Too smart for the cliquish hip-hop world yet too inventive for the rock crowd, 2 Skinnee J's might have to content itself as a group that is simply too good for mass appeal. Well, that's the mainstream's loss, as Volumizer is a strikingly good amalgamation of both techniques, with impressive pop sensibilities and atypical stylistic juxtapositions. In spite of the dire prediction above, the fact is that almost all of this, the band's sophomore major-label platter, is quite accessible; the hip-hop comes from the Michael Franti school of hard-hitting knocks, but the addition of musicians is what helps the more rap-oriented cuts stand out. There are also tracks that owe almost nothing to hip-hop, such as "Grown Up," which sounds like Lenny Kravitz jamming with the Kinks, "Lost and Found," which resonates like Sugar Ray's more alternative-sounding fare, and "Sugar and Candy," which melds a primal Beastie beat with Beck embracing blackness (and not for the hip factor, but because he bleeds it). Put Volumizer on par with the early Funkadelic records in that its innovation is greater than the sum of its rock and R&B parts. ~ Brian O'Neill|