“Urban Turban” needs more funky nuggets

After YEARS of listening Cornershop (doing no harm since 1995) I know what to expect: Some danceable nuggets, some half-realized funky-hippie workouts, and a bit of recycling of Cornershop songs, some of which are (at least partially) recycled songs by other people.

I KNOW, YOU WANT PROOF. I don’t blame you. Here: Urban Turban’s “Something Makes You Feel Like” gently twists the chords from the one Cornershop track that everybody knows, “Brim Full Of Asha” which gently twisted the chords years ago from The Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane.” Check that out.

Half-realized funky-hippie workouts materialize in the form of the maddeningly repetitive “Solid Gold,” AND the shapeless, formless “Milkin’ It,” AND the quite dull ‘Dedicated.” “What Did The Hippie Have In His Bag,” with it’s cute(sy) banter between some schoolchildren and bandleader Tjinder Singh will leave you wishing Lemmy could’ve ridden up into the middle of their recording session just to make things interesting.

But then there are the nuggets. I like to make long playlists for parties, and usually about halfway through, I like to stick in some tracks that will get the people with dance-move tendencies all lathered up. Cornershop is always good for a few, and Urban Turban has it’s moments: “Non-Stop Radio” is simple, cracking funk, with a sexy-sounding French girl thrown in to handle the voiceovers. “Who’s Gonna Light It Up” and its exotic percussion propellants would be coming to a hookah bar near you if anyone in those joints had any musical taste.

Yeah, this one is merely OK.