Heh, heh, mushrooms... trippy. San Francisco DJ Mark Farina is back with another seamless mix of jazzy, house- flavored down-tempo grooves to soothe. The first night I listened to Mushroom Jazz 2 I fell asleep with my headphones on about twenty minutes in. I have a feeling that Farina, the sort of chap who can likely appreciate the calmer moments in life, would not be insulted by this. His penchant for the placid is reflected in both his track selection (on the slow side of mid-tempo throughout, with little dynamic range) and his god-like mixing abilities, wherein he effortlessly makes the 15 songs here feel like one. Get a couple of turntables and try it sometime, it's hard as hell.

But while Farina's skills are on point and he has a feel for the tranquil blend (hey, kind of like Starbucks), the music here is marginal. The few vocal bits are laughably bad and cliched, but the real "problem" isn't a problem at all-- this disc was simply meant for the background. Designed to be unobtrusive and pleasant, it succeeds wildly. These sounds can provide a decorative ambience for art openings, a nice compliment to a Sunday morning mimosa, and a morale booster in a crowded elevator. Nobody working in retail will ever get fired for playing Mark Farina over the store sound system. Mushroom Jazz 2 says to the prospective buyer, "You, the customer, come first. Please, look around as long as you choose. Have some coffee. Ask questions. And remember: we have a very liberal return policy." What's wrong with that?

-Mark Richard-San