Basement Jaxx

“Crazy Itch Radio” (Xl Recordings)

Compare to: Armand Van Helden, Cassius

Review: 4/5

In short: The duo you’ve heard before but didn’t ever realize.

Basement Jaxx, the brainchild of duo Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton, has been a dirty little secret among advertisers for years. Their hits are staples of VH1 top 10 countdowns showcasing J-Lo’s million-dollar eyebrow wax or Paris’ teacup poodle. After three exceptional albums, it’s a shame most of their success in the United States has been through Coke and Pringles commercials.

The duo has successfully reinvented its sound for the third time on “Crazy Itch Radio,” a taste that will leave some sour and others excited for what else they have in store. Where “Kish Kash” was hard-edged and electronic, “Crazy Hit Radio” feels like a smooth, Latin groove.

Each song brings something new to the table. “Hush Boy” is the arrival at the club, “Take Me Back to Your House” is the night winding down, “Smoke Bubbles” is the after party and “Lights Go Down” is being nestled in bed. “Crazy Itch Radio” is a cornucopia of musical moods – and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet.

What Ratcliffe and Buxton have created is a little bit of something for everyone. Even the most hard-nosed music snobs will be humming along after the first few listens of “Crazy Itch Radio.”

And just like Pringles, once you pop, you can’t stop.

– Robert Lombardi