Cornershop & The Double 'O' Groove Of

Following up Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast in exceedingly timely fashion -- a mere two years compared to the seven that separated that 2009 effort from 2002’s Handcream for a Generation -- Cornershop capitalize on their Indian tradition, bringing in Bubbley Kaur for a collection of pop with a Punjabi punch. The vocals and flourishes are strongly Punjabi -- songs are often sung in the language, not English as they usually are on a Cornershop LP -- but these are essentially trappings for a collection of multicultural dance-pop not too dissimilar from the group’s albums since 1997. As on Judy Sucks, this is a blessing and a curse: Cornershop’s blends are still rich and flavorful yet they have the whiff of old fashion, still tied heavily to the post-rave years of trip-hop and Brit-pop, trends they fought and embraced in equal measure. Kaur’s presence gives The Double-O Groove just enough of a different tone to make a difference -- it doesn’t feel comfortably recycled as Judy sometimes did -- yet it doesn’t quite open doors to new avenues either. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

＜フジロック＞にも出演する在英インド人のティジンダー率いるバンドが、同じくインド出身の女性歌手と全面コラボしたニュー・アルバム。パンジャブ地方の伝統音楽的な独特の節回しに、ボリウッド風の派手なウワモノとコクのあるビートが重なって、こってりと濃厚ながらも後味は不思議と甘いダンス・ロック・サウンドに仕上がった。＜インド＞をフロア方面から愛情を持ってポップに描いてみせた佳作。
bounce (C)佐藤一道