[.ca] Welcome To Poppys

From Amazon.co.uk:
Welcome to Poppy's sees the Fun Lovin' Criminals further embracing the tequila sunrise and bad Hawaiian shirt phase of their career that they launched with 2001's Loco. Just as real-life gangsters inevitably grow into cuddly caricatures, so Huey, Fast and new drummer Frank the Rhythm Man, New York's charismatic wannabe hoods, have swapped back-alley cool and wiseguy chic for tacky glitz and a fluffier take on street life. Now more Tony Soprano than Scarface, Huey shows his sensitive side on cosy swayers "Got Our Love" and "Beautiful", even intoning on "You Just Can't Have It All" that regrets, he may have a few. Either growing old gracefully or taking the mobster theme to its obvious country club conclusion, they're amiable, if unspectacular, tunes. Likewise, "This Sick World" is their familiar street-smart shuffle mellowed, while "Friday Night" lounges to the point of coma; albeit a very pleasurable one. Yet, even at their naffest (and Welcome to Poppy's doesn't pretend to be anything other than camp fun) they manage to pull a handful of absolute winners out of the bag. With cheesy winks and irrepressible choruses, the shimmy of "Too Hot", the bump of "Stray Bullet" and the slapstick blues of "You Got a Problem" would make even those who despise the FLC's gangster shtick sing-along. --Dan Gennoe

Chronique amazon.fr:
Frimeurs, branleurs, fêtards et peu enclins aux "dialogues constructifs", les Fun Lovin'Criminals apparaissent dans leurs plus beaux habits avec Welcome To Poppy's. Des guitares qui laminent en puissance ("Baby"), des compositions qui n'hésitent pas à flirter avec la pop bubble-gum (sévèrement burinée quand même), comme dans "Lost It All", et des vocaux maîtrisés sur tous les styles, nos FLC semblent ici dans une verve jouissive. Ils rappent jovialement ("What Has Happened ?"), se prennent pour Michael Franles ("Got Our Love"), et chantent la romance ("You Just Can't Have it All"). Une musique cosmopolitée, éclatée, mais tenue comme une grande maison, par des garçons au goût sûr, qui ne mélangent les styles que parce que cette ville qui les voit vivre ne sait faire autrement. Le son de New York, d'une rue à l'autre. --José Ruiz

Still FLC, still good:
The Fun Lovin Criminals are a unique band. They mix so many styles (rap, lounge, rock, even country) and pull it off great. There are not many bands in today's era that hit me like they do. Unfortunately, if it wasn't for the internet, I would've never found them. Believe me when I say they are 100% original and a blessing in the world of music that exists today. Anyways, this is a good album but if you're new to FLC I'd start with Come Find Yourself, 100% Colombian, or Loco. Don't start with this or Mimosa.

Cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool:
Well, I've had a funny time with FLC. I waited for all of the hype to die down (after Scooby Snacks was played between every other song on the radio) before I really started to listen to them, and I actually like their more recent stuff just as much as the classics. I have 100% Colombian, and still listen to it a lot. I recently went to see them play in London, and was blown away by the performance. It was so chilled out and personal, and I felt like I was in my local bar listening to my buddies playing some tunes. My wife came along who has never even heard of them and by the end of the night she was into the music big style, and even caught a drum stick! Wish they would be invited onto Jools Hollands show here in the UK. I bought this album a couple of weeks after the concert and have listened to it plenty of times. My personal favourites are "Friday Night" and "Got Our Love". I think it might be those soul tune vibes that do it. "Friday Night" is most definitely one of my must play tracks as I am suiting up for a night on the town. It just makes you feel so shmooov and sophisticated, but in a laid back way. I would equate it to looking like Elvis in full regalia with medallion, but feeling like you got your grandads slippers and cardigan on. I would be very interested indeed to see FLC release a really laid back soul tune album with tracks like "Love Unlimited", "Friday Night", "Got Our Love", and "Bump" + new ones, but I guess that won't happen. It would be an all time classic if they did though. The other tracks are still good, "Too Hot", "Stray Bullet", "Living On The Streets" amongst some of the others are brilliant tunes and FLC have really kept the pace going whilst also trying some new styles. Try their website FLCNYC.com and listen to some of the samples there from DJ Matteo etc, awesome old skool beats and grooves. To round up then, I would highly recommend this album to anyone. Whilst FLC are not top of the charts at the moment, in some ways I am quite glad, as the larger proportion of much of the chart tunes is drivel, and decent inventive bands are remaining a little more on the fringes now anyway. If you have the cash, BUY IT. You won't regret it! Hope this helps.

	Custom Search