by Harry Ballmann

The Fun Lovin’ Criminal’s vocal and guitarist (Huey Morgan, a rehabilitated ex-con) is a true exemplification of the band’s nature, and perhaps an inspiration to an album of immense quality and diversity.

Come Find Yourself is approaching twenty years old and is still massively undervalued. It proves to be an album of complexity, an album of immediate pleasure and gratification. It seems most appropriate view the album on a series of levels, a testament to its timeless quality.

The first level is the richness and diversity of the music; some songs present a youthful and appealing type of aggression, and others, serve as a poignant reminder to the mortality of life. The Fun Lovin’ Criminals’ genius therefore, is apparent in their contrast. ‘he Grave and the Constant is a song of reflectance about a life which isn’t so pretty, the life of the sub-average New Yorker; contending with copious amounts of snow, high rates of rent, resorting to other means of earning an income. The Grave and the Constant itself is a metaphor for hell, illustrating intelligently crafted lyrics whilst providing a track which acts as a message that musicians are mortals too, not superstars. This is a different perspective to the opinion shown in The Fun Lovin’ Criminal, a youthful immaturity with a slight ignorance to the world, shown through a heavier, more rap orientated sound compared to the slow groove of The Grave and The Constant. The Fun Lovin’ Criminal’s second level becomes evident, the contextual accuracy to the many aspects of real life; a tangible relationship between the musicians and their audience.

The album is not a stereotypical hip/hop album, the melee of genres from hard rock, to rap with an evident motown undertone. For me personally, the diversity of Come Find Yourself is what makes the album so appealing, yet for others, it could be seen as a lack of direction. Fun Lovin’ Criminals are certainly producing music on their own terms, a noteworthy cause in a climate of mass-produced music which certainly fails to be as down to earth as Come Find Yourself.

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