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Uusitalo - Tulenkantaja - 06-Nov-09 12:16 PM
Like a vocal-less Luomo, Uusitalo's TULENKANTAJA has a cool and icy house groove, with some smatterings of electro-flourish for decoration. The beats kick in immediately with "Paskaa Musaa," which has less glitch than one would ordinarily expect from Vladislav Delay, but enough to establish parentage. "Odottava Peto" goes more uptempo but still with a subdued feeling overall; this is not an album necessarily destined for the dancefloor. The bottom-heavy "Kalajuttuja" has an appealing reggae counter-beat at its start that adds some considerable bounce, while "Nokkonen Päiväunilla" is probably more messy than it needs to be. "Uutta Verta Hangella" gets things back on track, however, and the title track dubs things out even more. "Misut Irti/Huutaa" adds a nice deep and melodic touch, and "Lasi Hajoaa" ends the album on a deeper note. Nicely done overall.

Luomo - Convivial - 04-Nov-09 02:13 PM
Luomo gets back on the right track with _Convival_, his fourth album, and the first to hearken back to the glory days of _Vocalcity_. Of course, the sultry vocals by Cassy Britton on "Have You Ever" don't hurt in the least. Apparat's Sascha Ring puts in his lyrical contribution to "Love You All," which combines his smooth indie-emo stylings with an electro groove for a surprisingly powerful effect. And on "If I Can't," Jake Shears from the Scissor Sisters puts his sexiness to the test with some mellow, mid-tempo house (even if the track goes on a bit too long). "Nothing Goes Away," however, seems like more of a throwback to _The Present Lover_, which isn't necessarily bad, though it isn't necessarily good either. Indeed, after the guest singers, the album's energy seems to lag a bit, and not even Robert Owens (on "Robert's Reason") can bring it back all the way. "Sleep Tonight" has a funky, wobbly sound that helps revive the proceedings, even as "Gets Along Fine" wanders a bit aimlessly. Still, a good number bright moments here, even as it plays catch-up to what remains the seminal _Vocalcity_.

Kaito - Trust - 02-Nov-09 02:26 PM
Listening to a Kaito album is like drifting out to sea on your back, carried by a warm current, and _Trust_ does just that. The opening, "And That Was the Way," oozes and pulsates so gently that it feels like complete bliss. "The Breath of Spring" is slightly more upbeat with its rhythmic break but is no less floating and delicate, but the smooth 4/4 makes a glorious comeback in the achingly melodic "Rainbow Circles." He switches to a minor key on "Too Good to Be True" and "Trust" which provide a nice harmonic balance to the album, while "We Are Living Here" sounds like a straight-up deep house track, with a particular emphasis on the deep. And finally, "Reach for Your Mind" ends the album on a swirling, dense cloud, as if to prove that this is music not just for the mind, but for the body as well. Believe me, you can put your trust in Kaito.

Luomo - Paper Tigers - 02-Nov-09 01:20 PM
Luomo, the housier side of Vladislav Delay, comes back for a third round with _Paper Tigers_, and even though he steers away from the 80s pop of _The Present Lover_, he doesn’t totally abandon it either. The title track starts off on a spacey, glitch-dub tip. The house is deeper, although not quite as deep as on _Vocalcity_. “The Tease is Over” comes on like a torch song, while “Cowgirls” has a light, spry touch to it. But more than anything, I’d disappointed by the blandness of this album. It had none of the depths of emotion of _Vocalcity_ or even the cheesy fun of _The Present Lover_. Indeed, it just feels a bit empty. Fine to listen to, but empty nonetheless.

Fred Everything - Lost Together - 14-Oct-09 10:01 PM
Fred Everything's third long player, _Lost Together_, starts off on an okay foot but eventually ends with both feet dancing. "On My Own," despite vocals by Roy Davis Jr., comes off bland. And what's with the African vocal sample at the start of "St. Viateur"? But all is forgiven when Lisa Shaw comes in with the graceful house vibe of "Here I Am." With the right producer, she could read the phone book and it would be sexy. Here, backed with a steady and subtle guitars, she doesn't need to. Wayne Tennant lends his vocals to the relentlessly upbeat "Mercyless" but the deep and sweeping "Understand" makes more of an impact. Another powerhouse female vocalist, N'Dea Davenport, comes on to deliver the goods on "Don't Nobody." The unfortunately named "Shinjuku Ramen" reveals itself to be mightily funky, as is the album capper "Mile End," with its horns and thumping rhythm. A good reminder of why one shouldn't judge an album by its first few tracks.

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