Rating: NN
With its inviting and warmly atmospheric hi-fi production (courtesy of Cassius’s Philippe Zdar), the debut album from British dance musician Adam Bainbridge takes us on a trip through tempos and styles: pop balladry, left-field disco, rare groove and new jack swing. It’s clearly the work of someone with a deep affection for dance music history, especially the era when DJs like Larry Levan took partiers on transcendental journeys late into the night.
Many of the best songs are the headiest: the rubbery groove of Gee Up, the squealing, sampledelic ode to late 80s R&B That’s Alright, and swirling disco closer Doigsong. What’s missing is the emotional heat. Bainbridge has a wispy, porous voice and a tendency to indulge in sentimentality (the apex of which is a cover of Anita Dobson’s East Enders theme, Anyone Can Fall In Love) and featherweight melodies that drift listlessly regardless of the considered production.
Top track: That’s Alright
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