This is the finest Australian psychedelic-jazz-funk album I have ever heard.
OK, you caught me. This is the only Australian psychedelic-jazz-funk album I have ever heard, at least as far as I know. But I’ve been on a bit of a jazz-funk kick lately, especially when I cook, so I figured it was worth checking out.
The seven songs here have a light jazz touch and an old-school feel, with rubberband basses and high-register vocals; there are also synthesizer swaths and deft percussion touches everywhere. There’s also a distinctly European feel to the whole affair, from the disco beats and electronica to the chill of the music; it sounds impressive, but it rarely has soul.
“Musica” and opener “Forever” are the best of the bunch; the others start to run together in a haze after a while. The instrumental title track is far too long at nine minutes for what it offers, while “Future Life” goes for a slightly darker undertone than its cheerful counterpart “Yourself,” though neither is particularly arresting.
Closer “Return to Centaurus” is nearly 10 minutes, with some Pink Floydian soundscapes, gradually opening up into a slow-yet-pulsating disco piece, the shiny glitter sprinkling around, Daft Punk on downers. It ends an album that’s smooth and shiny, with no edges and no real core.
So maybe it’s the worst Australian psychedelic jazz-funk album I have ever heard? I don’t know. But Chorus is hardly a calling card for the genre, and unless you want something to put on in the background that will be forgotten the next day, you can likely skip this one.