Jill Cunniff's First Solo Album: City Beach

Jill Cunniff, lead singer of the temporarily defunct Luscious Jackson, released her first solo album City Beach on February 20, 2007. Luscious Jackson was the first to sign to the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal label in 1992 and enjoyed eight years of cult heroine status before disbanding indefinitely in 2000. Although made up of four gorgeous ladies, the all-girl band relied more on musicianship than the tired sex appeal gimmick. Cunniff's solo album continues the tradition of artistic integrity.

In the time since the band went on hiatus, Cunniff has had two children and worked with other artists such as Joss Stone, Howie Day and The Gym Class Heroes. Now she's back with a message: according to her website, she hopes to help influence developers not to drastically change the old charms of Coney Island. Also, a portion of the sales of City Beach will go to the Surfrider Foundation, a non profit which works to protect beaches.

The first track, "Lazy Girls," eases into this perfect chillout soundtrack. Cunniff's mellow voice, almost a recitative, dedicates the song to "lazy girls and laid back boys/eating orange popsicles" as a guitar loops over a hi-hat driven beat. The lyric, "float down the road blowing kisses" sets the mood for this fun record.

"Happy Warriors" combines hand claps and a tribal beat with horn flourishes and the intermittent "disco sound." The lyrics "we won't be down/let the record spin around (sisters and brothers)" evoke grown up dancers who have the souls of kids skipping rope on the sidewalk. These are the warriors of everyday life who soldier on, not the gun toting kind.

"NYC Boys" is the next standout track. With the words "they call you rude boy/they say you're too wild/but you've got style" she sings an ode to the urban character of New York on which the whole world bases their idea of cool. The wah wah guitar gives way to an incredible jazz flute line that takes us out.

"Apartment 3" conjures an old love affair viewed in the rosy light of memory. The chorus wistfully sings, "I just can't remember why/we let love die so easily" as congas and synthesized strings mingle with electric piano, a high siren sound to call the past back into being.

"Exclusive" is different from the preceding tracks. It's a straight ahead rock song which confronts an allegedly cheating lover; although the instrumentation is more spare than in the other songs, this one showcases Cunniff's voice. The song is radio ready.

On "Kaleidoscope," a wistful ballad-like song, she sounds a bit like she's channeling 10,000 Maniacs' Natalie Merchant with reverb. But it's not a terrible song. The line, "we'll have pillow fights, movie nights/ a fire just for you inside" is poetry and the use of harmonica pleases the ear.

"Future Call" uses 1980s images and a saxophone juxtaposed with a message to let go of the past. "Valley boy," "repo girl," and "west-end girls" are all elements of our collective past brought up here and eschewed with the line, "tearing down the shopping mall."

Fans of Luscious Jackson's work will welcome this offering and new fans will want to check out nineties music featuring Jill Cunniff. But this record stands on its own as a document of a rocker and mother still evolving.