Cibo Matto Gets Funked Up With Stereotype A

Those crazy, food-obsessed, broken-English-rapping Japanese gals are at it again, back with a flavorful and insightful follow-up to "Viva La Woman."

Stereotype A is full of more of their retro-funk-rock-hip-hop-jazz-lounge hybrids, 14 of ‘em to be exact, weighing in a little heavier on the jazz and funk end of the aforementioned spectrum than before. More horn flourishes can be heard throughout the disc, and both Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda do a lot more actual singing than before, sounding surprisingly melodic.

But the beats and bass rhythms are still incredibly phat, the melodies amazingly catchy, the lyrics still geniusly poetic and nonsensical at the same time. It’s hard to single out individual songs for praise, as the whole album works really well together, but the opening sound-effected lounge-hopping “Working For Vacation” launches the disc off properly, moving swiftly to the metaphoric heartbreak ode “Spoon,” a full-out alterna-jazzy jam session with bright horn solos, wah-wah and acoustic guitars, classic pianos, and a rubbery bassline. “Flower” has an airy Sergio Mendes-Brazilian feel, “Lint of Love” sports a pounding beat and churning electric guitar power chords, and the soothing “Moonlight” comes about the closest to a ballad as Cibo Matto is going to get.

The humorous life-in-NYC commentary “Sci-Fi Wasabi” is the “Know Your Chicken” of this album, and the first radio single, despite being probably the most bizarre composition, both lyrically and musically, on the disc. There’s eight more cuts on the album, but I’ll stop here and leave a little to your imagination and expectation.

In addition to the full length CD, there’s a bevy of promotional material floating around out there, including a four track CD sampler, presumably aimed at radio, which contains the outstanding non-album cut “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” (ironically the song that stood out most in my mind after seeing them perform live), as well as “Sci-Fi Wasabi,” the John McEntire Remix of “Spoon,” and an edit of “Moonchild.” There’s also been, thus far, two vinyl singles, one with “Lint Of Love” and “Moonchild,” the other containing “Spoon” and “Sci-Fi Wasabi.”

Whatever Cibo Matto items you end up with from "Stereotype A," I guarantee you’re gonna be sucked in by their sound.