Too Slow To Disco 2

Buoyed by the success of their first shot across the bow, the folks who brought you 2014's Too Slow to Disco offer up a second helping of blue-eyed yacht rock nuggets from the late '70s and early '80s. Compiled by Berlin-based DJ Supermarkt, Vol. 2 once again focuses on the buried treasures of lesser-known AOR obscurities whose mellow funk inspired amorous activities below deck rather than on the dancefloor. Yes, genre superstars Hall & Oates lead off this set, but it's the rarely heard early Oates-sung soul gem "Alone Too Long" that sets the tone for this inspired collection which, in spite of its incredible mass of richly detailed bass, feels so light in its boat shoes that it might just float away into the Pacific Coast night. Standouts like Dave Raynor's tequila-soft masterwork "Leave Me Alone Tonight" and Byrne & Barnes' infectious Fender Rhodes-aided groovefest "Never Gonna Stop Lovin' You" represent a unique era of pop music when hyper-precise musicianship and immaculate (analog) studiocraft were at their pinnacle before digital processing arrived to scrub the feel out of so many performances in the years that followed. Say what you want about the coked-up, polyester goofiness of this odd musical trend, but the songs on these Too Slow to Disco sets are exquisitely arranged and infectious pieces of music. ~ Timothy Monger