Given the high profile of
Rocket Juice & the Moon
's core members --
Damon Albarn
,
Flea
, and
Tony Allen
-- the project is technically a supergroup, but there's a humility on their self-titled debut that makes it the work of a true collective. Dub, Afro-pop, and rap were growing fixations in
Albarn
's post-
Blur
years, and he brings all of these fascinations together with the help of
Allen
, with whom he collaborated on the considerably less vibrant
the Good, the Bad & the Queen
, and with
, who might seem to be the odd man out on paper, but blends in expertly with the rest of the players here. Indeed, the trio seems more than willing to let its guest vocalists come to the fore on
.
Erykah Badu
and rapper
Thundercat
score an early highlight with the slinky, smoky "Hey, Shooter";
Fatou Diawara
and
the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
get a funky, summery showcase in "Lolo"; and "Chop Up," with a playful call and response between
M3NSA
M.anifest
, is another standout.
doesn't step up to the mike until almost halfway through the album on "Poison," a more intimate and knowing take on the kind of star-crossed love songs he's been writing since "To the End" and "Yuko and Hiro." His vocals are almost tossed off, reflecting the appealingly loose, live feel of the entire album. Aside from the aforementioned "Hey, Shooter" and "Poison" (as well as the
showcase "The Unfadable"), most of these songs are charming, bite-size snippets and sketches like "Night Watch," a dubby exercise in double-jointed rhythms and bass and brass interplay; the serpentine keyboard interlude "Worries"; and the irresistible groove of "Fatherless." Because its tracks are so short,
's undeniably jammy feel never becomes indulgent; while some tracks could have been cut to tighten it up, the album is more about the overall experience than moments of individual perfection. As it stands, this loose, adventurous collection of songs is more vital than many of the other overcooked projects that
Rocket Juice
's main players have been involved in during the 2000s and 2010s. ~ Heather Phares