Jamiroquai - Synkronized (1999)

Three years after their breakout Travelling Without Moving, Jamiroquai returned with another album that charts Jay Kay's continuing fascination with club-bound music of the 1970s -- from disco to jazz-funk to rare groove to later Motown -- but also shows signs of maturity. Produced by Kay with Al Stone, who also collaborated on Travelling Without Moving, the album includes several tracks (like the single "Canned Heat") that work infectious acid jazz grooves, and Kay's hipster vocals give out feel-good vibes through a set of ambiguously good-time lyrics. Though other tracks show a bit of an electronica update to the affairs, each still spotlights how strong and tight the band is. It may not be a leap ahead in sound, but Synkronized is another solid Jamiroquai record. -- John Bush