The Fun Lovin' Criminals
' debut release,
Come Find Yourself
, is both a catchy love letter to the trio's New York City roots and a mid-'90s rap-rock party album. Vocalist and guitarist
Hugh Morgan
, keyboardist and bassist
Brian Leiser
, and original drummer
Steve Borgovini
met at New York City's famed Limelight nightclub in the early '90s and started as a stand-in for bands who failed to show up. From that point on,
the Fun Lovin' Criminals
cultivated their hip-hop beats, bluesy rhythms, and pop culture-themed rhymes. Heavily dominating the lyrical content are references to gritty urban living, samples from
Tarantino
movies, and send-ups of organized crime, as exemplified on the track "King of New York," boasting the singsong chorus "La di da di, free John Gotti." Even though the band touches on dark themes, the music is energetic and funky enough to keep it from being too subversive. In the end,
is a perfectly crafted summertime party album. ~ Maggie Serota