Jurassic 5
Feedback
Interscope
It’s usually good to let an album simmer, but it feels awkward writing an album review by a group that recently told fans that they are no longer. But on the flipside it makes writing the review a little easier because it explains why Feedback was not Jurassic 5’s best. You can feel the growing dissension in several of the songs, which now I realize was a foreshadowing of J5’s impending split.
Feedback, for the most part, is a lyrical rerun, as J5 expresses much of the same as they did with Power in Numbers. Adding to the evidence of the eventual split was one of the best songs, “Work it Out,” which unfortunately relied heavy on a chorus anchored by Dave Matthews Band. Nothing against DMB at all, it’s just that Jurassic 5 made a name for themselves on the strength of strong MCs and the creative eclectic alchemy of turntablist/producers Cut Chemist and DJ Numark. Sadly, though, Cut Chemist split before Feedback was released and was not a part of the album, leaving DJ Numark to shoulder most of the production duties. In doing so it revealed what DJ Numark’s creative strengths are and where Cut Chemist’s strengths offset Numark’s weaknesses.
They say being in a band is a lot like being married. Feedback showed that if things are not going well on the home front it’s really hard to fake it and eventually the truth comes out. Sometimes bands can work things out and put the egos or selfish agendas behind them and use the bickering as fonder for great music, but in J5’s case the end result was to serve each other divorce papers and go their separate ways.
Jurassic 5: http://www.jurassic5.com
