**1/2 Luscious Jackson

ELECTRIC HONEY

(Grand Royal/Capitol)

This might be one of the hippest records of, say, 1992. At this late date, however, there's little novelty to Luscious Jackson's Lilith Fair approach to hip-hop. Guess they figured, if it ain't broke . . . Sure, their mildly sardonic kitsch/scavenger-hunt sonic collages are as smart as anyone's, and their tone is free of the arch, aggressive jokes that mark the work of their patrons, the Beastie Boys. And thanks to drummer Kate Schellenbach, the music's got a good beat, and you can dance to it, Dick.

But there is such a thing as too nice. Electric Honey (out this Tuesday) is the aural equivalent of low-impact aerobics, with the quirks (for example, back-up vocals by Emmylou Harris, of all people) played down to the point of near-invisibility. If you're not listening closely, you might miss the humor behind "Alien Lover," "Space Diva," and "Fantastic Fabulous" (a backhanded homage to Deborah Harry, who sings along). With the exception of the eerie guitars on the final two tracks, invention is in short supply -- generic is the rule, from bassist Jill Cunniff's mundane lyrics to keyboardist Gabrielle Glaser's meandering rap reveries to the album's title. This trio could fly anywhere if they weren't on autopilot.

-- Gary Susman