CRAZY ITCH RADIO - BASEMENT JAXX
On “Crazy Itch Radio,” British house pioneer Basement Jaxx returns to the pop mash-up stylings of its first two albums. Modeled after a radio station, complete with interludes and fake ads, the set genre-hops from infectious, radio-friendly dance tunes (”Hush Boy”) to sensual soul (”Lights Go Down”) and grimy raps (”Run 4 Cover”). The banjo-house track “Take Me Back to Your House” is a surprisingly buoyant, playful romp, while the jazzy funk of “On the Train” puts a soulful twist on a sample from Ray Charles’ “Hit the Road Jack.” Nothing here has quite the same panache as club hits like “Bingo Bango” or “Romeo,” but “Crazy Itch Radio” nonetheless contains a handful of songs that reassert Basement Jaxx’s superior production skills and unfailing ability to get any dance party grooving. Billboard
