Fun Loving Criminals – Classic Fantastic
The multi-platinum funk soul brothers, with 4 Top 10 albums to their name, return for the first time in five years with the first classic party album of the decade! Featuring collaborations with Roots Manuva and Paul Kaye.
Huey, Fast and Frank have been missing in action for 5 years, caught up in an acrimonious legal battle with their first manager who they fired in 2003. ‘Classic Fantastic’ bursts out of that gloom like a glorious sunrise shooting infinite rays over a range of shadowy mountains, as spectacularly life-affirming as the last five years have been creatively death-defying.
A party album built in a psychological bunker; it’s a phenomenal testament to the power of unbound optimism.
“There’s this thing called Noetics,” announces Huey. “Which says if everybody thinks the same good thoughts, good things will happen. Likewise, negative thoughts – it’s not rocket science. And we all want the same thing, to be a Fun Lovin’ Criminal. You have to go through hell to get to heaven and now we’re finally out from under a lot of our problems, it’s a brand new day. So let’s go out and do what we love to do.”
So what to think of this new offering? There will be no doubt those who detract and don’t get the irony of the album. For me it took a few plays, certain tracks such as the album opener “Mars” grab you straight away as a remixers heaven. Let’s face it, how many bands have used Steven Hawkins as a lyrical byline!!
Title track “Classic Fantastic” could step right off a 70′s funk album or even an episode of “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air “. In these days of serious, deep & depressing music this album has wafted from my speakers like a breath of fresh air. The album really kicks into life on track three, “The Originals”. Gangster lyrics set to a guitar-driven 70′s disco funk groove I was left looking for Shaft and those big afro hairstyles. The collaboration with “Roots Manuva” on “Keep On Yelling” brings the feel right up to date and is a killer track.
You know I started out pretty skeptical about this record and have ended up more than impressed. If you just want a slice of the pie as a starter, “Rewind” is an amazing song with a message showing that in amongst that party feel FLC are not afraid to tackle serious issues. A satirical lads party album is one way of putting it! Dropping on March 1st, the band embark on a mini tour around the UK, see the links below. The mp3 is a cover of the late great Curtis Mayfield’s “Right On For The Darkness”.
Fun Lovin’ Criminals – Right On For The Darkness
www.funlovincriminals.tv
www.myspace.com/funlovincriminalsnyc
