gogoLab

At first blush, gogoLab seems like pure shtick -- an opportunity for keyboardist Eric Moon, bassist Bijoux Barbosa and drummer Brian McRae to don suits, shades and skinny ties and live out their spy-music fantasies. Turns out, though, these guys are talented enough to transcend their own gimmickry. The disc's...

By Michael Roberts

September 21, 2006

Audio By Carbonatix

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At first blush, gogoLab seems like pure shtick -- an opportunity for keyboardist Eric Moon, bassist Bijoux Barbosa and drummer Brian McRae to don suits, shades and skinny ties and live out their spy-music fantasies. Turns out, though, these guys are talented enough to transcend their own gimmickry.

The disc's title track is a case in point. The sprawling number opens and closes with atmospheric sound effects and a retro groove that does Lalo Schifrin proud -- yet its middle section features an extended Moon solo that's served neat and goes down smooth. Elsewhere, "The Girl," with its mid-tempo rhythms and synthetic strings, and "The Face-off," a tune that injects some unexpected funk into its soundtrack-ready vibe, recall the days before the evil nemesis known as Spyro Gyra turned "fusion" into a dirty word.

True, The Stakeout's sense of fun sometimes slips into silliness. But overall, gogoLab's experiment is more successful than anyone had a right to expect.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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