A freaky white frontman tripping on star power. A salt-'n'-pepper Brit combo copping licks from '70s stateside R&B. Sound like a Culture Club for the '90s? Close enough. Jason Kay is a wonderfully nimble singer with a Stevie Wonder jones, and Jamiroquai parlay jazzy soul pop so tight, it crackles. Trailing clouds of hype, they dazzle on The Return of the Space Cowboy, proving that tons of swagger and a gift for irresistible hooks need not daunt the open-minded. Let cynics wince at the up-with-people spirit of "The Kids," the astromysticism of "Mr. Moon," the protest politics of "Manifest Destiny." Nowadays, when most funk comes out of cans, Jamiroquai's live spark glows. And any band that can recall both Roberta Flack and Weather Report is something else. (RS 704)

PAUL EVANS