Love Jones' second album was released in 1995, again to little notice.
Powerful Pain Relief has more soul and pop stylings than their previous effort. "World of Summer" even sounds reminiscent of Hall and Oates,
Barry White, and the Bee Gees. The band evolved their loungey sound away from a
Combustible Edison bossa nova vibe to more rock but still created a smooth, cocktail mood. "The Thing" has some funk influences and sounds like the song
Steely Dan would record if they were still obsessed with Jose Cuervo and the fine Colombian. The standout track is definitely "You Don't Know Me," which is the best and most danceable song in the
Love Jones catalog.
Jon Brion again joins the band and plays Korg Moog synth, chamberlin, and piano on about half the album. If Here's to the Losers was a quiet, late-night album,
Powerful Pain Relief is loud, mid-day party disc. But liquor is still the flavor of the day; the album's title refers to the morning after hangover and aspirin. Here's to the Losers and
Powerful Pain Relief were the only full-length CDs by
Love Jones and are the kinds of releases for which music lovers scour used CD bins. ~ JT Griffith