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Elly Roberts reviews
EMI
- October 2007
- Rating: 6/10
In 2006, Julie Fowlis won newcomer at the BBC Folk Awards.
DISCO is back!
Leggy blonde Roisin Murphy made her name as one half of pop sensationsMoloko, churning out great albums like Things To Make And Do and hitsingles Sing It Back, The Time Is Now.
Now the Irish chanteuse goes all out to impress with an album of trademarkelectro – disco beats. Shes certainly learnt a lot from Madonna, Kylie andSophie Ellis Bextor. If youre ever in doubt of your direction, then a dancehit will resurrect your career, so single Let Me Know did exactly that,with dazzling results.
It cetainly made me pay attention, doning a power oufit to bop around the cafein the video, flashing plenty of leg too. As it happens, I was a big fan ofdisco way back in my clubbing days, so I can releate to a lot of this sort ofrevival.
Taking cues from ’80s basslines, there are some really funky grooves that paytribute to the genre. Overpowered starts the blast, while You Know Me Betteris right out of Madonna 1981. She strangely sounds like Madge too. The out-and-outdancers are Overpowered, You Know Me Better, Checkin On Me which hit the spot,whereas Movie Star and Cry Baby are nothing more than Euro Clubblandness.
Low points are dull over-produced rambler Primitive, and nauseatingFootprints. Only when she gets to the back end, Scarlet Ribbon,a ballad, do we get to hear the vocal sexuality she has in abundance.
In terms of production, and theres a lot of big tweekers on board, likeveteran Jimmy Douglas, Richard X (Rachel Stevens/Sugababes), Andy Cato (GrooveArmada) its perfect. Its downfall – it has no soul.
Moloko made great pop that was interesting. This isnt.
Weblink:myspace.com/roisinmurphy
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Overpowered
2. You Know Me Better
3. Checkin On Me Everybody
4. Let Me Know
5. Movie Star
6. Primitive
7. Footprints
8. Dear Miami
9. Cry Baby
10.Tell
11.Scarlet Ribbon
12. Body Language (bonus track)
13. Parallel Lives (bonus track)
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.