Jamiroquai’s ‘70s Jam Party

If you’ve had it up to here with young bands recycling the sounds of the ‘70s, read no further. Jamiroquai’s new album (due in stores Tuesday) is an unabashedly groovy trip back to the days when bell bottoms roamed the Earth and funk and disco ruled the dance floor. These guys have boogie fever, and they’ve got it bad.

On the follow-up to their 1996 breakthrough, “Travelling Without Moving,” Jamiroquai leader Jay Kay and company make up in sonic punch and rhythmic panache what they lack in progressiveness. The first single, “Canned Heat,” is a delirious confection that would no doubt have been in heavy rotation at Studio 54; the aptly titled “Soul Education” follows a similar formula, with fetching strings and crackling wah-wah guitars. For “Black Capricorn” and “Where Do We Go From Here,” the group adds funky horns to the mix.

On the bass-driven “Falling” and the breezy reverie “Butterfly,’ ‘ the horns grow wistful, and the mood becomes sweetly, soulfully romantic; but the beat goes on, and the overall vibe is more celebratory than sentimental. Leave arty, earnest ballads to other retrophiles--the members of Jamiroquai simply want to party like it’s 1979.

*

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.

Hear the Music

* Excerpts from albums reviewed and other recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: https://www.calendarlive.com/soundclips