From Here to Anywhere

Now reduced to just a duo following the departure of MC Double D, Australian dance outfit Sneaky Sound System may have lost a member, but their third album, From Here to Anywhere, shows they're still a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the classier end of the floor-filling spectrum. Picking up where 2008's Two left off, its ten tracks provide some much-needed substance to the commercial club scene, whether it's the George Orwell-inspired "1984," a hypnotic fusion of feisty spoken vocals, twanging basslines, and spacy sound effects; the heart-breaking dramatics which surround the Human League-esque, juddering, echo-laden synths on "Remember," or the subtle melancholy which underpins the slick Gallic house of opener "Friends." Inarguably more retro than their previous output, the album's apparent journey through the history of dance music throws up some interesting and convincing pastiches, such as the New Order-influenced, dreamy Balearics of "Big," the early-'90s-style acid house of "I Need You So," which allows Connie Mitchell (recently recruited by Jay-Z and Kanye West for their Watch the Throne album) to unleash her inner diva, and the glossy bubblegum pop of "I'm Not Leaving," which recalls Donna Summer's hi-NRG output from the hit-laden Stock, Aitken & Waterman factory. But the album falls flat when the pair attempt to be too cool for school, as on the minimal but melody-free electro of the bizarrely selected lead single, "We Love," and the Metronomy-aping, novelty synth pop of "Lovetown," which sounds like it's been lifted from an early Sonic the Hedgehog soundtrack. Mitchell's charismatic and soulful tones ensure that Sneaky Sound System are going to be a cut above the usual "fun in the club," Guetta knock-off acts that are swamping the charts in the 2010s, and bar a couple of misguided hipster offerings, From Here to Anywhere is more than likely to enhance their reputation as one of their homeland's most stylish dance-pop acts. ~ Jon O'Brien|