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G. Love & Special Sauce
THE HUSTLE
(Brushfire)
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This latest release from the Philly kid — the first G. Love album to be launched on Brushfire Records — reflects the deep-rooted influence of long-time friend and writing partner Jack Johnson. A far cry from the gritty, blues hip-hop classics of Sony releases Yeah It’s That Easy (1997) and Philadelphonic (1999), these tracks instead build on a solid pop foundation and pay homage to everyone from Dylan to John Lee Hooker, with the trio of vocalist/guitarist Dutton, bassist Jimmy Prescott, and drummer Jeffrey Clemens quoting the guitar riff from "Wild Thing" in the first five seconds. Although the commercial rock of" Astronaut" and the Beatles-inspired "Love" seem to fly in the face of everything the group have ever recorded, "Don’t Drop It" and "Back of the Bus" sound more like the familiar "Rodeo Clowns," and they reflect a more successful integration of Johnson’s surfer singer-songwriter touch with Dutton’s delightfully sloppy lyrical style. But the tracks that journey into other genres (including a Norah Jones–esque jazz/country interlude and an unsuccessful attempt at reggae) are apt to make you pine for the classic G. Love of old. (G. Love & Special Sauce will perform with Jack Johnson and Donavon Frankenreiter on September 15 at FleetBoston Pavilion, Northern Avenue in Boston; call 617-228-6000.)
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