Jamiroquai Proves It’s Been Worth the Wait With Career-Defining ‘Automaton’

Jeff Nau

Jamiroquai’s latest and eighth album has been in the creation stages for a few years, going all the way back to 2013 when drummer Derrick McKenzie first teased it. Given that nearly seven years have elapsed since their previous output, 2010’s “Rock Dust Light Star,” it’s only logical to expect a band that’s a little rough around the edges: the group has undergone some new lineup changes, a label switch, and some serious down time in the interim. As it turns out, though, perhaps a little change was all the group needed to come back into their own. The result, “Automaton” is a satisfying, at times dizzying blend of the same groove-centric, alt//jazz/trip hop that made them famous in the nineties, only much better.

According to singer Jay Kay, “Automaton” was conceived thematically “in recognition of the rise of artificial intelligence and technology in our world today and how we as humans are beginning to forget the more pleasant, simple and eloquent things in life and in our environment including our relationship with one another as human beings.” That may seem like a mouthful, but don’t forget that Jamiroquai has a history of toying around with science/sci-fi themes like time and space travel, and it works here alongside the trippy disco rhythms and jazz riffs.  

Jamiroquai had some trouble righting the ship, understandably: whereas MTV helped them take off and with the likes of hit videos such as “Virtual Insanity” — which featured Jay Jay showing off some gravity-defying dance moves and choreography — they’ve found it difficult to re-capture the success that followed their 1996 breakthrough album “Traveling Without Moving.” The first singles off of “Automaton,” the title track —  a pleasurable little slice of electro that recalls latter-day Duran Duran — and “Cloud 9,” both show that the band is more confident than ever. “Only a fool could walk away from me this time,” singer Jay Kay taunts, and backed up by a swell of poppy, perfect disco-funk, it’s hard to disagree. Funky basslines and catchy synth melodies reverberate throughout, flawlessly executed and produced, and it’s hard not to be hooked. “Vitamin,” meanwhile, is a free-form, acid-jazz trip overtop some inspired percussion, ripped to shreds by random saxophone wailings. This may sound chaotic, but it plays almost like a welcome break from the schizophrenic structure of the album.

Much as with Nelly Furtado’s latest, perhaps a little break was all that was needed to re-charge the batteries and sound better than ever. Time may have passed, but Jamiroquai hasn’t lost a thing: groove-heavy rhythms? Check. Utterly danceable, rollicking basslines and funky guitar riffs? Check. Confidence firing on all four cylinders? By all means, check. The end product is a breakthrough record that finds the band at their career high.

Jamiroquai’s “Automaton” is available on Apple Music March 31.