Few artists – people, even – can bring out high levels of irritation and revulsion in their fellow human beings as consistently as Jason Kay. That he has managed to build a hugely successful career with such an obvious lack of charm and humility, only makes him harder to stomach.
Kay’s personality may make Jamiroquai’s music unpalatable to some, which is a shame, as the band have delivered some killer singles through the years. Such moments have dried up in recent times though, as the group’s dogged refusal to tweak their disco-funk sound has become increasingly tiresome.
Indeed, on listening to Dynamite, one may come to the shocking conclusion that Jamiroquai’s music isn’t infused with enough of their frontman’s personality. Where once Kay’s ego drove cockily brilliant tracks like ‘Virtual Insanity’ and ‘Deeper Underground’ towards excellence, the band’s music now sounds disappointingly safe and inoffensive.
Only on a handful of occasions do Kay and co. provoke more than a shrug of the shoulders from the listener. The band get a rare chance to show off their songwriting chops on ‘Seven Days In Sunny June’, eke-ing out a pretty melody, rather than merely hitting on a flatulent groove and sticking with it. ‘Love Blind’ has one of the album’s few strong pop hooks, while the frantic rock-out on ‘Black Devil Car’ is a welcome change of mood and pace.
“It’s been so long /And the groove in my heart’s nearly gone,” Kay sings on ‘Hot Tequila Brown’, suggesting that he’s become as bored with his own music as we have. Let’s hope he realizes that retirement is now his most sensible option.