Signor Groove- Scrambodia

Originally hitting the solo scene in 2001 with Indifference Face, Seattle's Signor Groove brings a diverse background, including jazz, funk, and urban hip-hop, to the table in the form of a fairly unique blend of retro and modern. Scrambodia, Signor Groove's sophomore effort, highlights his background in jazz and funk while also reaching for a more updated alternapop realization. The sometimes quirky yet soulful results will likely appeal to fans of Beck or Jamiroquai. Marked by strong songwriting, arrangements, and performances, Signor Groove delivers an interesting musical concoction complete with a generous serving of brass.

The opening "Quarterhip" is easily the album's most accessible mainstream moment if not its most memorable altogether, a wonderfully produced, catchy pop tune with infectious melodies and rhythms at every tune. The other tracks run the gamut from the laid-back groove of "Liquid Sugar", providing what is arguably the disc's second-best chorus, to the 6-minute, tempo changing funk/jazz jam of "Our Love". Signor Groove also reveals a somewhat more experimental side on the disc's title track, a choppy 50-second foray into sampling and electronica territory, as well as a bit of a humorous bent on "Pirate Killer Got Seasick". "Ladooz", sporting an exceptionally interesting guitar solo, also deserves a nod.

While some with more mainstream alternapop tastes may find much of the album too retro-funk-oriented, Scrambodia is, as a whole, a slightly short and uneven but impressive and diverse musical journey. It's, admittedly, not for everyone, but fans of the aforementioned similar artists or funk and soul-infused alternative pop should give Signor Groove's Scrambodia a spin.