Cibo Matto
Super Relax EP
[Warner Bros.]
Rating: 5.7
These two girls first appeared on the scene in 1996 with their instant
cult hit, Viva! La Woman. Their blend of swanky samples and
chic style seems to make bedroom eyes at the listener as their smooth
club rhythms rub against the leg of lead vocalist Miho Hatori. Usually,
it's the kind of thing folks tend to lose interest in overnight. Cibo
Matto, however, are an exception to the rule.
Super Relax serves as a companion piece to Viva! La Woman,
opening with one of that album's seductive high points, "Sugar Water."
But in general, the record falls short of expectations. Consisting
largely of what could have been album filler, Super Relax fluxuates
between likeable tracks (the loungy Antonio Carlos Jobim cover, "Aguas De
Marco," the rhythm ride of "Spoon" and the spunky monkey madness provided
courtesy of Coldcut on their remix of "Sugar Water") and tracks during
which your finger may find its way to the 'power' button when you're not
looking (the screetchy "BBQ," the bastardization of the Rolling Stones'
"Sing This All Together," and the experimental stupidity of "Crumbs").
All told, Super Relax includes four very different and very
listenable versions of "Sugar Water," two bonus songs worth the listen,
and three horrible, horrible tracks which may compel you to destroy the
whole thing. It's your money, man.
-Ryan Schreiber