Hits the Hits!

iTunes Review

Shawn Lee is not exactly a hit-oriented artist, working as he does in a sprawling palette of musical colors and textures without much concern for what is “hot” or “pop” at the time. Paying homage to “library” music of the ‘60s and ‘70s (instrumental tracks for T.V. and commercials), Lee often indulges his taste for decades past by infusing it with a post-modern flavor. Here, he takes hit songs from recent years and gives them the full Ping Pong Orchestra treatment, adding a sitar here and a conga there until you’re not exactly sure you know the original source. (Is that really OutKast’s “Hey Ya” or is it an uptempo soul number from Ramsey Lewis, circa 1967?)  Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body” moves in a classic ‘70s groove, a bed of funk layered over with bright horns and synths, while a sinewy sitar and tablas drive Lee’s version of Britney’s “Toxic.” The dub-soaked reworking of Gorillaz’ “Clint Eastwood” is enough to get lost in, and Lee’s bone-rattling, Cramps-style take on Missy Elliott’s “Get UR Freak On” begs the question: why not more guitar in the world of Ping Pong? The track kills.