Basement Jaxx Crazy Itch Radio

• Words: Patrick Sisson
• Label: XL
• XLR8R Rating: /10

Basement Jaxx boys Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton once had the house scene on lock, to the point where they had dancefloor dons like Erick Morillo contributing guest vocals to their records. Crazy Itch Radio continues a trend from their last few albums-folding in guest stars and different genres at the expense of their more explosive, straight-ahead sound-that provides diminishing returns. Silly lines (even by dance standards) and what sounds like a Muppet-led refrain tarnish the tight and glittery opening jam "Hush Boy," while other uptempo tracks like Balkan-beat boogie "Hey You!" and the banjo bounce of "Take Me Back to Your House" are good but not "Good Luck"–great. As the dramatic operatic intro suggests, the Jaxx rose to fame by dropping full-bore, attention-grabbing tracks. Now they're making songs that, compared to past efforts, are more relaxed and radio-ready.