Fun Lovin' Criminals
Come Find Yourself

THE REVIEW

The Fun Lovin' Criminals were one of the most entertaining and spirited American bands in the second half of the last decade, mainly thanks to their long-distance debut in 1996.

Grunge was declining, and success in the States began to smile upon artists who weren't mimicking the sadness and desolation of Cobain-Vedder derivation: think Smash Mouth or No Doubt.

The New York trio managed to gain visibility thanks to a delightful mix of rap, jazz, and rock - having as their guiding stars the genius of Beck and the Beastie Boys - and they managed to spice it up with metropolitan atmospheres inspired by Scorsese and Tarantino films, adding sensual grooves from their guardian angel Barry White. It was actually the fierce Quentin who brought the trio into the spotlight. The single "Scooby Snacks" (a lazy and drawling folk with hip hop rhythms: a little classic) indeed sampled dialogues from "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction." As soon as the related video appeared on MTV and thereafter became a hit, the greedy director demanded the rights, even having himself recognized as a co-author of the piece.
The initial "Fun Lovin' Criminal" is somewhat the group's sonic manifesto: jazz, rap, and slide guitar all at once. Also successful are "Coney Island Girl" which sounds like a Spanish-tinged Lou Reed, the complex gangster fresco "King of New York" and the swampy funk of "Come Find Yourself." Particularly in the latter, Huey and his mates deliver a gem, sounding a bit like the dEUS of "Worst Case Scenario" shedding their European intellectual veneer to dive into certain murky New York nightclubs.

A good debut indeed, which would have deserved one more star if it hadn't been for some episodes - like "Bombin' the L" - where the rap-rock clichés of "Licensed to Ill" are recycled without much imagination, or some tracks like "I Can't Get With That", suitable for those who still enjoy listening to covers of "Sexual Healing." Unfortunately, the subsequent records would focus on the groovier but also gaudier aspects of the Fun Lovin' Criminals sound, culminating in the dreadful "Loco", with an obscene video of Briatore-like flavors that still haunts our nightmares as an unapproachable example of artistic nadir.
If you're throwing a party, do the right and good thing: get this CD.