Fatboy Slim - Palookaville

This album heralds the return of one of my favorite artist of all time, and one of my biggest musical influences. Norman Cook does more magicks in his newest album Palookaville. This genre-bending colelction ranges from the hard and deep sounds of 'Jin Go Lo Ba' to the wistfully soulful vocals and slow drums of 'Put It Back Together'...once again, another clearly eccletic design.

The best way I can describe the overall theme of this album is halfway between You've Come A Long Way, Baby and Halfway between the Gutter and the Stars...
So...essentially three-fourths-way between the gutter and the stars...if you will.
The sound of Cook's old school efforts are there, and the vocal affluence and stylings of his new newer albums are there (Perfect example: The spiritualistic reggae of 'The Journey' capturing that wobbly persona and solid, meaningful lyrics). Eventhough the finished product isn't quite the sum of it's parts ('Weapon of Choice was awesome, but Bootsy Collin's work in 'The Joker' is lacking...not sorely lacking, but not really working too well on certain levels...).

Overall, I highly, highly recommend this album. Not too slow, not too fast, just right (...here, right now, right here, right now...)

Personal Favorite Tracks:
Wonderful Night
The Journey
Jin Go Lo Ba