Ian Pooley Showcases His Varied Repertoire
W.C. | Houston, TX USA | 08/09/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"With his last full album release, Souvenirs, Ian Pooley seemed to be focusing on more of a global style of House. Souvenirs was undeniably different from his previous releases, with its heavy Brazilian, Lounge, and Afro influences. Although I personally found it to be an excellent CD, many others did not. To me, you were meant to listen to the whole CD at once, taking in the different moods that Pooley created from track to track. But then again, I am a big fan of Nu Bossa scene. Those expecting In Other Words to be an extention of what Pooley had started with Souvenirs will be surprised. If anything, In Other Words feels somewhat closer to 2001's Nite:Life 06. But to try to pigeonhole it to compare with a previous release would be unfair. In Other Words has aspects never before seen in an original Pooley release.
The first thing most people will notice while listening to In Other Words is that it is very light on the vocals. There are no real female vocalists. And there are only a couple of tracks where male vocals take precedent. It's almost like the counterpoint to Andy Caldwell's overly heavy fisted and pop-ish Universal Truth. Also, the tracks Intro and Blue Interlude are very different from his previous works. They both have a very Ambient feel to them, a little bit like some of the trance by BT. Needless to say, they do not really fit in with the rest of the CD. They're not bad tracks, just rather different. But I suppose it was Pooley's intention for it to be this way. These are very short songs anyway and ultimately have minimal impact on the overall effect.
In Other Words, like Souvenirs, has a transitional tone to it. It begins with a more clubby feel. "5 a.m.", "It's You", "What I Got", and "Heat" are very beat driven. The second 1/3 of the CD, "Steppin' Out", "Maestral", "Last Nite", and "Learn", feel a little funkier and more melodic. Some string and wind instruments make an appearance in a couple of these songs. The tracks "The Hippest Hip", "My Kicks", and "Do The Thang" are a decidedly different turn. They can be best labeled as deep Tech House, with repetitive, electronic beats and repeating voice samples. While none of these last few songs are all that bad, they are just as jarringly different from the rest of the CD as "Intro" and "Blue Interlude" are. The CD ends with "Closer", another beat heavy Tech House track but without the vocal samples.
All in all, In Other Words isn't as coherent as Souvenirs. But it is a lot more accessible and danceable. It's more likely that you will find at least 3 or 4 tracks that you really enjoy. Whereas, if you didn't like Souvenirs by the 4th or 5th track, you weren't going to like it period. In Other Words is really varied in House style and depending on your tastes, can be amazing or just solid. This is far from his best CD, but it's nowhere near bad. Those of you who disliked Souvenirs will likely welcome the return to a more standard selection of House.
Favorite Tracks:
Steppin' Out
5 A.M.
Last Nite
Least Favorite Track:
My Kicks"
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1