Imagine, if you will, a yacht. It’s forged of gold and strong African teak, bobbing gently at anchor somewhere between the French Riviera and Detroit. A statue of the late Roger Troutman is affixed to the stern like a guardian angel. The ladies of Klymaxx wander the decks serving strawberries and cream on silver platters. Sylvester himself is the skipper, and Hall & Oates are down below, keeping the engines in shipshape. This is the S.S. Chromeo, and the two men who create the smoothest of music under the same moniker are at rest aboard, preparing for another global voyage of lovers’ funk ambassadorship. Here we have Dave 1, the suave professor, the voice and intellect, enjoying a rosé as he ponders French literature. And with him we have the one and only P-Thugg, the brawn and the body, sipping on the ghetto cocktail known as Thug Passion and proudly going through his mental rolodex of jeep beats and funky flourishes. The men of Chromeo have just released Business Casual, which is their third full-length album and a testament to the growth and further sophistication the band has undergone over the many years they’ve been collaborating. After their sophomore release, Fancy Footwork, pushed them into the stratosphere of party-rocking, club-banging, and heart-thrilling electrofunk, we might consider Business Casual their postgraduate work. Where does a group go after mastering their craft? Do they rest on their laurels? Do they retreat into self-parody? Neighbor, please. Chromeo, in 2010, have pushed forward into yet newer levels of song craft and body moving music that is respectfully indebted to its noble inspirations while still being fully contemporary. Are there lush string arrangements on “Don’t Walk Away”? Do we have Moroder-esque analog synth layers draped all over “Don’t Turn The Lights On”? Is there a fully authentic French ballad (don’t forget, Dave and P are of the Québécois persuasion and will never abandon those roots) in “J’ai Claqué la porte”? Well yes, actually, to all of the above. But what’s this we have here? The flip side of Chromeo, the emotional gangster tracks, are still here on Business Casual, represented by titles such as “Hot Mess,” “I’m Not Contagious,” and “You Make It Rough.” And, newly added to the roster, we have the straight-up pop, vanilla in the best sense (creamy and smooth), of “The Right Type,” a get-up-and-go tune in the greatest 80s tradition, and the album closer, “Grow Up,” which almost sounds like golden era Billy Joel backed up by Cameo. How real is that? Lyrically, Dave continues to mine the rich vein of affairs of the heart. Is there really any other topic that Chromeo needs to cover? Arrogant ladies, dancefloor seduction, boudoir skills, love gone wrong, and knights in shining armor… Chromeo does all this and more with their trademark Franco-insouciance-that-borders-on-coolness and their always sexy worldliness (pause). In these uncertain times of financial upheaval and musical mediocrity, Chromeo’s Business Casual is a testament to the fact that inspirational funk shall always prevail. Vive le Chromeo!
Chromeo – Over Your Shoulder
Chromeo – Over Your Shoulder Lyrics:
[Verse]
All the grass is greener everywhere you look
So many girls out there I could write a book
That one’s ass is leaner
This one’s like Serena
But I think your silhouette is meaner
And even though you’ve got small breasts
But to me they look the best
I confess
I wanna go home and get you undressed
See your problems of self esteem
Could be self-fulfilling prophecies
So probably your best policy is to talk to me
[Chorus]
Stop looking over your shoulder
Cause if it was up to me I would make you feel right
(x2)
All the grass is greener everywhere you look
So many people stare they got you scared of the girls out there
This one’s cola-bottle size
And that one’s more of a model size
I know you heard this a hundred times
To me what matters is what’s inside
[?]
Is that bad, is that taboo?
Can I get a bird’s eye view?
You see, your problems of self-esteem
Could be self-fulfilling prophecies
So arguably your best policy should be talking to me
Talking to me
[Chorus x2]
So next time that you’re feeling down
Turn you frown into a crown
Put yourself in an evening gown
And I’ll roll around
Rip it off
Break you off
JetBlue Airways taking off
Couple of days where the sand is soft
Oh, aren’t you glad you took the weekend off?
Cause it’s those little imperfections that make beauty in my eyes
I wanna be in the intersection of your thighs
And you worry about your size
It’s nonsense
It’s not a contest
And besides
If it was a contest, you’d win it
I wanna take a bath with you in it
Bathroom sex, you in it
I did it, I mind
I’ll do it with you if you wanna try
I’ve seen you cracking a smile
Guess I have to stay for a while
[Chorus]
[Refrain]
Over your shoulder
Love is what you’re searching for
Over your shoulder
You don’t have to look anymore
