After a solid showing with their first album,
the Funky Monkey Babys
returned with an even bigger success, the sophomore album outselling the debut within only two weeks. Although the group bills itself as heavily influenced by funk and hip-hop, the sound is generally straightforward J-pop, perfect for a basic theme song but maybe less perfect for any sense of new excitement in the music. The album opens with flowing electronic string arrangements, accentuated by subtle bird chirping to add an extra bit of relaxed summertime ambience. The vocals are delivered as basic feel-good pop, avoiding hard edges or deeper tones. The members tend to sing in unison, making for a decent group dynamic rather than giving too much space for solo efforts. However, it's not a solo effort that's being presented here, but a basic love-and-happiness set. Nary a surprise, but it's a nice, casual listen, summer afternoon beach music at its most basic essence. ~ Adam Greenberg