glove-lemonade music reviews Virgin Media
Plenty of fizz but not quite enough pop on seventh album from white boy bluesy hip hop crusaders
It’s always been a tale of almost, but not quite with Philadelphia trio G. Love (previously known as G. Love & Special Sauce). Initially, their playfully sloppy white boy hip hop seemed set to explode when early single Cold Beverage bagged heavy MTV rotation back in 1994. Their eponymous debut album almost went gold, too. Unfortunately, a more talented bloke called Beck released Loser, went interstellar and stole their thunder.
What’s more, while Beck has developed his sound, G. Love have continued to inoffensively plough the same good-natured, lazy-grooved furrow to a certain indifference. This seventh album might change that via a bluesier shift and some quality collaborations. The excellent Blackalicious give Banger a sleazier late-night atmosphere plus expert rhyming, while best mate Jack Johnson helps G. Love pay homage to the likes of Dr John on Rainbow. Such variation is to be applauded. However, a continued blandness lyrically and determined sacrifice of melody for "groove" means Lemonade remains not quite as refreshing as we hoped.
More to try: G. Love & Special Sauce: G. Love & Special Sauce Beck: Odelay Jack Johnson: In Between Dreams Blackalicious: Blazing Arrow
