I love Hip Hop. It was my 1st love (in a musical sense of course). From making pause tapes from DJ 279 back in the day through to the age of the digital revolution, it will always be my ultimate goto genre. I am also however, a fan of good music in it's many forms. From Breakbeat to Drum n Bass to Jazz, my Ipod is a schmorgesbord of great music. Nu Funk is my very close second to Hip hop & i just can't get enough of the stuff when it's done well. I first heard Kylie on the Cookin' On 3 Burners track, Settle The Score & I knew it was only a matter of time before she dropped a full length cd. The fact that The Bamboos (Step It Up, Rawville) were behind the soundscape of the whole thing only made my anticipation rise. I have not been disappointed & the good people won't be either. A superb debut begins with the classy, laid back trumpets of Still Into You & the mid tempo piano sprinkled title track. This is then followed by my fav track on the cd. The atmosphere laiden Make Me Want More is a masterpiece of modern music. Brilliantly capturing the essence of the Classic Soul of the 70's. The easeing in & out of the trumpets, the eerie strings & Kylie's under pronounced almost drawlish vocals all make for a stunning result. Even though in my opinion the rest of the album doesn't reach these heights (Pretty Things coming closest) it's still so damn good that it doesn't matter. The aforementioned Pretty Things is another fantastic track. All guitars & strings with no drums whatsoever, Kylie,s voice sounds ever more effortless as the track progresses. Quality over quantity was clearly the aim for this project & the final track, Never Did I Stop Loving You is a shining example. An uptempo groove with lots going on that leaves an almost partyish vibe behind it. Lance Ferguson (Lanu, This Is My Home) has pitched the sound of the album perfectly. Cool enough for those that want to show off the musical pallette to those that need educating, yet accessible enough for those that allow themselves to be educated to get into it. The beats are catchy enough to make you move while still leaving you in no doubt that Kylie is the star of the show. Amazing stuff from start to finish & an absolute must have.
Thats When Good Neighbours.....
Wicked was my favourite word back in the day
The Choice Has Been Made
Jamiroquai are one of my all time favourite groups (Hip Hop or otherwise). Their sound is distinctive & instantly catchy, Jay Kay's Vocals have a wispy hypnotic quality and every album they've put out are classics in my book. Nick Van Gelder, is the behind a large chunk of those hits & after a hiatus of sorts, he's back with a new band & updated sound. Now, as much as he may have tried to stray from his previous work, the best thing about this album is the unmistakable aroma of Jamiroquai throughout. From the feint hint on the spacey bongo laiden Thinkin' Of You, to the strong stench (in a good way) of Time To Get Ready, you can't avoid the similarities. But that just makes for a damn good album. A continuous array of uptempo grooves that any Dance DJ worth his salt would do well to have in his collection. Ain't No Friend Of Mine, is the best example of a club friendly groove & is my fav track on the album. I do have my reservations though (hence this being a damn good album instead of a great album). Whether they are meant to sound as they do or whether they were badly EQ'd, the vocals sound like mere spacey background instruments on most of the tracks when they should be at the forefront of what are already great beats. Also, with most of the tracks weighing in at 6 or 7 minutes plus most of these tracks need editing. give the DJs there mixing time on the vinyl release & let us regular consumers have a more digestable length for the cd version. The overall sound of the album is superb though so it is well worth the purchase. I have left the title track below by way of a taster. Enjoy!
