CITY BEACH - JILL CUNNIFF
Jill Cunniff, former lead singer of alt-rock group Luscious Jackson, returns after six years and two kids with a delightfully breezy and refreshingly hopeful chill-out solo disc. Cunniff’s honeyed vocals, distinctive wah-heavy guitar and retro-fabulous canned beats on tracks like “NYC Boy” evoke New York circa 1994, when Luscious Jackson’s debut full-length was released on the Beastie Boys’ now-defunct Grand Royal label. The relentlessly strong hooks — especially on the acoustic guitar-anchored “Eye Candy” and the swinging, slightly twangy “Exclusive,” which conjures early Sheryl Crow — make it easy to embrace lyrical riffs on taking it easy and “enjoying the ride.” This is a thoroughly made-for-summer album released in the dead of winter, and catching its musical waves guarantees instantaneous thawing. Billboard
