Some albums are meant to be listened to closely and some are simply meant to be heard.Put Luscious Jackson’s latest effort, “Electric Honey,” in the latter category.It’s a great CD to play in the car, at a party or by a crowded pool side. Just don’t listen too hard, because that’s when “Electric Honey” starts to break down.Musically, LJ sounds as good as ever, if not exactly the same as earlier efforts. Lyrically however, “Electric Honey” ranges from the (rarely) sublime to the (more often) inane, and several middling points in between. More than anything, the songs seem to be about nothing.The critical acclaim Luscious Jackson garnered from their first three albums (“In Search of Manny,” “Natural Ingredients” and “Fever In, Fever Out”) was well-earned. They’ve consistently blended multiple musical genres to create a funky, soulful, street-party sound. “Electric Honey” follows the same formula, but if you’re expecting to find growth, you won’t.The disc starts out promisingly enough. “Nervous Breakthrough” is reminiscent of “City Song” from “Natural Ingredients.” House-music beats, catchy hooks and sweet vocals fuse with rap interludes to create a perfect blend of hip-hop and post-alternative groove. “Ladyfingers,” the first single from the album, sounds more like something from vocalist and principle songwriter Jill Cunniff’s side project, the Kostars (which she formed with former band member Vivian Trimble around 1995), than anything Luscious Jackson has done before. With a spare acoustic opening and a chorus featuring Emmylou Harris, the song begs for, and has gotten, major radio acceptance. The disc’s third track, “Christine,” features syncopated rhythms and haunting vocals that accentuate compelling lyrics. But it’s mostly downhill from there.The rest of the album, with the possible exception of “Summer Daze,” is easy listening that is easily forgotten. It’s as if the group created a soundtrack of summer background music, with one song virtually indistinguishable from the next.Again, if there is a downfall to this album, it’s the lyrics. If anyone can decipher the meaning behind “I’m an underwater fraulein/all I know is my rhyme” from “Devotion,” more power to them. The lucidity vacuum also sucked up any discernible meaning from “Alien Lover,” “Sexy Hypnotist” and “Space Diva.” “Fantastic Fabulous,” featuring the fantastically fabulous Deborah Harry, is unique mostly due to her presence.It all adds up to an album full of pleasant banality, that, while not very compelling is certainly worth hearing and re-hearing. That is, as long as you’re not really listening.Luscious Jackson will be in concert at the Newport Friday night.