フォーマット |
CD |
---|---|
構成数 |
1 |
国内/輸入 |
輸入 (アメリカ盤) |
パッケージ仕様 |
- |
発売日 |
2013年09月14日 |
---|---|
規格品番 |
4 |
レーベル |
|
SKU |
616892152545 |
BBQ
構成数 | 1枚
合計収録時間 | 00:44:14
Personnel: Velda Kelly, Marguerite Deslippe, Joseph Deller, Andrew Wu, Maria Smith, James Greer , Dan Stachyra, Chuck Roth, Milly Hughes (violin); John Madison, Scott Stefanko, James Vanvalkenberg, Leslie Deshazor (viola); Judith VanderWeg, Ed Baskerville, Brandon Cota (cello); Sy Smith (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Phonte. Recording information: The Beach House, Wilmington, NC; The Burlap Palace, Raleigh, NC; The Disc LTD, Eastpointe, MI; The Peanut Gallery, Raleigh, NC. Director: Aimee Flint. The title of the fourth Foreign Exchange album is so corny that the back cover might as well show Nicolay and Phonte, together with their dozen-plus associates, leaping over an airstrip with ear-to-ear grins. Once the serene strings on the closing "When I Feel Love" fade out, it's clear the title is absolutely descriptive, as the prevailing mood deeply contrasts with that of the racked Authenticity. If there is a bridge between the two albums, it's third track "Better," in which Phonte rhymes matrimony with acrimony and sings of being healed. Second to that is chamber folk-soul ballad "Listen to the Rain," where Phonte is overwhelmed, "lost inside this pain," but that segues into the speedy drum'n'bass ballad "Call It Home," where the spirit starts to lift and turbulence is counteracted with optimism: "Sunny days are rare/But I'd follow you almost anywhere." Otherwise, from "Feels so good, love's flying high" -- Carmen Rodgers' invigorated chorus on opener "If I Knew Then" -- to the blissful duet finale featuring Jeanne Jolly, Love in Flying Colors is about the rush and delight of falling in love. As usual, almost all of the instrumentation is performed by Nicolay. The uptempo tracks of his City Lights, Vol. 2 were something of a warning flare, though the bright synthesizer-laced grooves here are a little funkier and more musical. "Right After Midnight" is prime modern boogie, while "The Moment," the best track Blaze never made, is soulful house hotter than +FE Music: The Reworks highlight "So What If It Is." Phonte, who has developed into an exceptional singer, is supported by several co-lead and background vocalists used in a variety of imaginative ways. Each guest appearance is worthy of mention, but Gwen Bunn's entry -- for the last verse of broken beat throwback "Can't Turn Around" -- adds a jolt like no other. In 2013, it takes a certain level of bravery to make R&B this open-hearted, joyous, and musical. U.K. acts like 4hero, New Sector Movements, and Bugz in the Attic were doing it in the early 2000s, but none of them put it together quite like this, in one concentrated shot, with the songwriting on the same high level as the productions and arrangements. This crew is elite. ~ Andy Kellman
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1.[CD]
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1.If I Knew Then
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2.Right After Midnight
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3.Better - (featuring Shana Tucker)
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4.On a Day Like Today
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5.Listen to the Rain
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6.Call It Home
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7.Moment, The
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8.Can't Turn Around
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9.Dreams Are Made for Two - (featuring Carlitta Durand)
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10.When I Feel Love - (featuring Jeanne Jolly)
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オリジナル・アルバムとしては3年ぶりとなる4作目。一派のゾー!が鍵盤で参加し、ニコレイが80s風マシーン・ビートも導入して編み上げたサウンドは爽やかな青空のような開放感に満ち溢れ、いまや歌に力を注ぐフォンテのマイルドな声と一体となってモダンで洗練された音像を描いていく。同志のサイ・スミスやエリック・ロバーソン、カーメン・ロジャースらゲスト勢の歌声も絶妙にフィットした現行ネオ・ソウルの王道的快作だ。
bounce (C)林剛タワーレコード (vol.360(2013年10月25日発行号)掲載)
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