Jamiroquai’s Travelling Without Moving signified a violent burst into the mainstream by way of slicker hooks and enhanced arrangements. The album, the bands third, took the funk elements of its predecessor, The Return Of The Space Cowboy, and turned them into cleaner, bouncier synth-infused dance tunes.
The theme for the album is centered around Jay Kay’s automobile obsession, owning several expensive sports cars, namely one custom-color green LaFerrari. He later lamented this being the basis for the album, saying in an interview, “I love speed, you see. I was a bit worried about what people would say bearing in mind that the first album was about the environment… Just because I love to drive a fast car, that doesn’t mean I believe in chopping trees down.”
Nowhere is the album better sampled than on “Alright”, a late-night disco/funk jam complete with a smooth-as-silk bass intro. Here, the two sides of the band – pop sensibilities and funk musicianship – combine to toe-tapping effect.
The album spawned five singles – “Do You Know Where You’re Coming From?”, “Virtual Insanity”, “Cosmic Girl”, “Alright” and “High Times”.
The third single, “Virtual Insanity”, marked the bands first significant US chart success. Subsequent singles “Cosmic Girl” and “Alright” both performed well in the US, solidifying the groups presence in the country and scoring them a new hit single by way of the 1998 Godzilla soundtrack.