Harry Connick Jr- Star Turtle

Harry's previous album, She, was a huge pop hit thanks to Whisper Your Name. With fame, fortune and movie appearances, Harry was the flavour of the month. Star Turtle is a less pop-friendly foray into funk. This CD was given to me as a present, and for a few years I was disappointed it wasn't She, therefore I didn't listen to it very much. But I think time has treated this album better than the pop-funk of the previous album.

To get a major gripe out of the way: the whole "giant space turtle visits New Orleans looking for musical salvation" arc scattered through the album is A COMPLETE WANKFEST. I dunno what they were smoking when they decided to add these fillers to the album, but in the sober light of day it just doesn't work!

But the real songs on the album are wonderfully arranged, recorded and layered. Funk is the leitmotif here, and funk isn't normally my cup of tea, so for this whole album to hold my attention is a great achievement. However, the album's mood swings from ballad to grunty to party wonderfully. It's more a compilation than an album, with some very abrupt mood changes between songs, but when the songs are all this good, I'm not complaining at all.

Reason to Believe is a cracking feelgood boogie-woogie piano driven party tune. The rhythm section is bouncing and you can't help bopping along. Also, the horn lines snuck in between the vocals are amazingly intricate. It all adds up to one of my all-time favourite songs.

This might sound like jealousy speaking, but I reckon Whisper Your Name these days sounds like a twee reminder of mid 90s saccharine pop tastes. Nobody Like You to Me is seriously funky, like a Jamiroquai song with more balls.

And City Beneath the Sea is a great mellow way to go out on (tip: ignore track 15).

Favourite songs

How Do Y'all Know, Hear Me in the Harmony, Reason to Believe, Little Farley, Eyes of the Seeker, Nobody Like You to Me, Never Young, City Beneath the Sea

Would I buy it again?

Considering I didn't actually buy it in the first place, it's a tough call. But, yes, even though funk falls a long way from my usual musical taste, I would pay money to have this as part of my collection.