Stereotype A - Fave of 1999

I would have never thought that my favorite album from this year would be from a band featuring two young Japanese women, accompanied by the likes of Sean Lennon, who sing - and rap - with an infectious, yet sophisticated groove sound.

There is not a missed moment on this CD, that manages to ingeniously infiltrate numerous musical styles, yet remain a consistent piece of work.

There are so many good songs on here the it is difficult to state which one I like best. The second song on the album, titled 'Spoon', is a very smooth and groovy number that I enjoy immensely.

'Hi-Fi Wasabi' is a completely funky rap song about bike messengers in New York City with lead singer Miho Hatori declaring herself "straight out of purgatori [sic]".

Prior to that song is a beautifully crafted song titled 'Moonchild' which is an ode to friend who had died. Hatori's lilting singing is a perfect compliment to the sensual sounds created by Yuka Honda.

Another song, title "The Lint of Love"" amazingly compares love and a relationship to....the lint basket in your dryer. It is a fun song.

'Speechless' is another rap/singing hybrid about a girl leaving a guy. It is pretty cool especially when Hatori starts in with "You saw me crying, but now my eyes are dry." There seems to be real emotion there. And the song moves, too. Like almost all the songs on this disc it has smart overtones of many genres including Latin, funk, disco, and even some Carribean/Brazillian sound.

A somewhat techno-slow funk feel comes from the song "Clouds".

All the other songs are equally impressive. The only one that maybe is a misstep is "Blue Train", an attempt to put some heavy metal flavor into the album. It is actually a pretty good song, but seems to kind of jar loose the pleasant, groovy flow that the album has.

I cannot say enough how much I enjoy this album. It rarely ever leaves the CD player in my car. If you are into innovative, smart, yet fun and funky music then I highly recommend this album.