Am I getting old or is Jamiroquai getting better?

I listened to Jamiroquai's new album Automaton yesterday, and to my surprise I found myself playing it—of my own volition!—again today.

Whilst He-Of-The-Big-Hats has shown a knack for writing catchy singles (and producing eye-popping videos) in the past, for the most part his music hit me more as jazz-funk lite and tended to leave me a bit cold.

Well, it's been 7 years since his last album and I think the time off has done him some good. While Automaton isn't exactly the deepest of artistic efforts, it is heavier and more satisfying than anything I've heard him produce in the past. He's traded in his acid-jazzier tendencies for more of a heavy disco vibe, and the result fits him far better than, well, those huge hats he's so fond of.

The stand-out track is easily the one the album is titled after, and it mixes slightly menacing verses shot through with odd squelches and buzz drills that open up into a glorious chorus dressed up in tight, shimmering, low-slung bell bottoms and liquid hips. I actually find myself hoping he extends his current overseas tour to hit our shores. I actually want to see how these tunes pan out live.

Boogie down, y'all.