The Jurassic 5’s new release “Feedback” hit the charts hard, reaching No. 15 on the Billboard top 200 and 12 on the hip-hop and R&B charts.
With funky beats and old-school flow, “Feedback” maintains Jurassic 5’s reputation as one of the most talented hip-hop groups, but those in search of the hottest new sounds beware: “Feedback” has heavy old-school influences with only a moderate contemporary twist.
As always, Jurassic 5 reaches out to fans with positive lyrics and advice for good living and success. The track “Back 4 U” shares the story of the group’s toils over a soulful piano hook. It’s a distinctly unique feel-good sound that reels the listener into the album.
As one of the most appealing songs on the album it’s unfortunate that the only other track that radiates a similar vibe is “Work It Out,” a collaboration with Dave Mathews Band. It’s a mellow musical experience with rich guitars and soothing flow about working toward one’s dreams and embracing those around you. It is, possibly, the most complete track on the album.
“End Up Like This” and “Get it Together” are probably the most soulful tracks with deep messages about solving conflicts and eliminating the mistreatment of others. The tracks are a tribute to ’70s soul using passionate R&B backup vocals and choruses behind smooth verse and soft beat.
The album’s most lively offering is “Future Sound,” which has shredding lyrics and a fresh contemporary “bounce” beat with old-school sampling techniques and scratching. This and “Turn It Out,” with its distorted synth-beats, offer the most to the modern music scene, but lacks any competitive value for those interested in the hard, fast, “bling” styles that have dominated the charts for the past five years.
“Where We At” is a sophisticated attack on the whole rap community, expressing disgust with the industry’s rejection of talented musicians and choice to push artists who promote violence or the mistreatment of women. Saying “I’m into keeping it real,” then denouncing musicians who rap about their money or crack to get radio play, Jurassic 5 makes it clear that they aren’t what radio material has become and have no intention of selling out.
Even with advanced lyrics and a great throwback sound, “Feedback” is unfortunately missing the freshness necessary to hook a listener in for the long haul. Many tracks find themselves lacking distinguishable elements and begin to sound redundant. Others over-use the vintage style and end up sounding dated.
As talented and unique as Jurassic 5 is, it’s sometimes hard to get over their constant preaching and rejection of almost all new techniques in music and beat making. Give “Feedback” a listen, because it has memorable tracks and solid musicianship. But unless you’re a hardcore fan of old-school, you’ll probably find the album hard to get through and end up skipping around.
Mark DeMeo can be reached at [email protected].
