by John Bush
It's practically obvious from the title, but Lounge Excursions is an album of late-night jams ranging from disco to quiet storm to jazz-funk. Underground works through this collection of key- and drum-heavy house movers with only occasional intsrumentalist help, preferring instead to layer a couple of Hammond or Rhodes keyboard lines over his own tight drum programs (he even stretches out on congas for &City People&). Though there's great interplay between guitar, keys, and vocals on the collaboration tracks (&Fly With Me& with solid guitar from Mike Saxon, &City People,& &Funki-Ghetto&), the highlights here are the solo productions, like the irresistibly funky &7th and Rhodes.&