Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 08/24/2004
For fans of
G. Love's early-'90s output, it was frustrating to watch his wiry, organic hybrid of
hip-hop,
blues licks, and kind bud groove fail to resonate with the followings of fellow travelers like
the Dave Matthews Band and
Ben Harper. Sure,
"Cold Beverage" made the mixtape rounds, but where was the love? And yet, as the '90s played out, it was
G. Love's own inconsistencies that began to hurt him. The scatterbrained
Electric Mile from 2001 was the final straw -- if people had always had a hard time classifying him, suddenly it seemed like the man himself couldn't figure it out. That's all changed with
Hustle. He works with his usual
Special Sauce unit of bassist
Jimmy Prescott and drummer
Jeffrey Clemens, but adds
Money Mark, percussionist
Danny Frankel, and producer
Mario Caldato, Jr., as well as old pal
Jack Johnson, whose
Brushfire Records provides the platform for this easygoing hustle.
Johnson appeared on
G.'s
"Rodeo Clowns" way back when; it seems he's determined to bring his pal a bit of his newfound mainstream lovin'. It helps that
Hustle is
G. Love's best collection of songs in a long, long time. Kicking off with the loopy, gritty swing of
"Astronaut" and running through the shameless yet somehow effective bump of
"Booty Call," the album keeps things nice and simple, with
G. Love's trademark smirky flow, stripped-down rhythms, and distinctive bass and guitar licks over the top.
"Love" is a sunny, upbeat ode with a slight
CSN lilt, while the title track hits up cool
Philly soul for its laconic sneak.
"Loving Me" is a quietly acoustic, near
folk number, and
"Waiting" turns on an easily surging bassline suggestive of vintage
Sublime.
G. Love is still restless. He likes playing the bluesman troubadour role, but can't work it without a little bit of rapping. He's also a heartfelt acoustic balladeer, but never says no to an elbowy, hippy dance-ready, double entendre-filled groover like
"Fishing Song" ("All the fishes love me/They all wanna jump on the end of my line...").
Hustle rolls through these varieties with strong playing and tall servings of
G.'s sly wit. It has a succinct ease that'll be familiar to fans of
Johnson's albums, and harks refreshingly back to the
G. Love & Special Sauce of old. Yeah, it really is that easy.
~Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
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