Magic Hour

Luscious Jackson were always the odd girls out on the ‘90s alt-rock scene. A dance-pop-party band with smarts, they didn't meld with the grunge crowd and yet weren't quite smart-assed enough for The Beastie Boys’ audience. The group closed up shop around the new millennium, returning nearly 14 years later without keyboardist Vivian Trimble. But Gabby, Jill, and Kate are back in action as if little time had passed. They’re as eclectic as ever, co-opting reggae grooves, funk licks, unison vocals, and hip-hop sounds made in their basement. Magic Hour quickly shuffles the deck. “#1 Bum” finds the group freestylin’ with a bit of shameless boy-butt watching. “So Rock On” is a laid-back breather, produced by the Beasties’ Adam Horowitz, that leads to the pure soul/hip-hop of “Love Is Alive.” New York City runs through their veins even when they hit Los Angeles in “3 Seconds to Cross.”