Gabin - Mr. Freedom

Gabin's second album, MR. FREEDOM, is much more uptempot than their eponymous debut and is reminiscent in many ways of the work that comes out on Germany's Stereo Deluxe label. The jazzy-loungey vibe is still a strong presence, but there's also quite a bit of boogaloo here too ("Bang Bang to the Rock 'n' Roll" is a perfect example of this). The swinging "Into My Arms" sets the pace early on; this is music for finger-snapping. There's also a downtempo-blues song, "It's Gonna Be," similar to St. Germain's work. "Midnight Caffe" is more along the lines of the earlier work, but with an catchy funk bass, but the title track takes a blues-funk-rock approach, assisted by the erstwhile Edwyn Collins. "Just Be Yourself" takes a more digital approach, blipping its way into jazz. So while MR. FREEDOM might be derivative in many ways, it's still a pleasurable listen, well-crafted and carefully done. And sometimes that's all you can ask. For proof, listen to the pure R&B lounge of "A Thousand and One Nights," or better yet, the dream-like remembrance of "...And She's Still Watching Me." It's so unlike the rest of the album that it stands out -- and in my mind, that's a good thing.