Some great reward
happy to guide this hazy ship to shore, and thankfully he finds a magical method to harness this melodic madness. This album, we have to say, is definitely a grower if you can last the distance.
Capital Cities
(Universal Music) LOS ANGELES indie pop duo Capital Cities, featuring Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian, spares no cost in its pursuit of mid1980s pop thrills on its mainstream debut album. The duo even pull out cheesy synth trumpets, normally a musical death trap, on the format radio single Safe And Sound.
Interestingly, they achieve the desired effects. The masses had time for that tune. But is the rest of Capital Cities’ debut any good? Well, only in spurts.
The aforementioned single is a tight and catchy electro-pop moment that works on a party level.
But sadly, Kangaroo Court, comes across as throwaway indie, and offers little by way of songwriting value to leave a lasting impression.
Luckily enough, the duo take on a different route from the flamboyant Aussie act Empire of the Sun, choosing instead to focus on easy-listening soul pop.
Of course, a track like Chartreuse could easily have been cut in the late 1970s and that says a lot about Capital Cities’ potential in crafting memorable pop.
Somewhere in the duo’s record collection, you’re bound to find some Hall & Oates, Boz Scaggs and 10CC – textbook white soul music that seems to be the rage now.
However, there’s still a gimmicky element to Capital Cities’ music that’s hard to shake off.
A little more focus (on the songwriting) the next time and Capital Cities could well be a new force in this electro-centric indie landscape.
Various Artistes
(Warner Music) THIS compilation arrives just in time for super producer/hitmaker/ guitarist Nile Rodgers’ tour in this region, which includes a Kuala Lumpur show on Dec 4.
Featuring 25 tracks across 2CDs, Nile Rodgers Presents The Chic Organisation practically tells the backstory of the 61-year-old New Yorker’s glorious trail of platinum singles and productions from the mid 1970s and early 1980s.
Rodgers’ unforgettable hits with Chic, the band he led with the Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson (both deceased), are well represented on this album, and you can’t go wrong with Le Freak, Everybody Dance, Good Times, and I Want Your Love.
The funky 12” version of Soup For One is worth the price of admission on its own. But Rodgers has more than Chic hits here. His production work – as part of The Chic Organisation – is an added highlight with classics from Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, Norma Jean Wright, Carly Simon and Debbie Harry making this compilation.
On stage, Rodger’s version of Chic also cranks up a medley from Sister Sledge and Diana Ross. So it’s good to have a feel of He’s The Greatest Dancer right to Upside Down!
Over the years, there has obviously been no shortage of Chic compilations, but this one should do nicely if you are new to Rodger’s early music.
No point in just owning Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories and going on about how cool Get Lucky sounds if you don’t know anything about the yowsah, yowsah, yowsah.