The Transients
Crossfades EP
Independent/MGM
This electro pop outfit from Perth has created a well crafted and catchy CD. All 5 tracks grab you instantly and are easily likeable. Lead single One Day, with its dirty bass line and indie rock vocal, is a highlight, as is Can’t Let You Be Lonely, featuring vocals by ex Halogen singer Jasmine Lee. This CD got the double thumbs from my UK dance loving friends, which definitely says something! Co-produced and mixed by Lee Groves of Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode and Bertie Blackman fame, this is definitely worth a listen. – Nat Ripepi
David Guetta
One Love
EMI
Moving further from his Tribal House roots as a DJ in Paris, David Guetta has become increasingly commercial… but is that a bad thing? Guetta is a very clever artist, changing with trends and collaborating with current hot talent, and this album is sure to sell. Partnerships with Akon and Kid Cudi work well here, while the pairing with Trocadisco? Not so much. This is essentially a very good album with broad appeal, dance floors the world over sure to be soon pumping to the sounds of One Love. – Vivi Del Boca
Various
UnClubbed
Sony
Interesting concept: take 14 popular club favourites (plus a couple of originals) and strip them back to bare bones acoustic. I was curious to see if it worked and the verdict is… it definitely does! The tracks take on a soulful, chilled out vibe. Some tracks work better than others, but for the most part, these versions succeed at highlighting the beauty of the song behind the beats. My particular faves are You Don’t Know Me, Finally, Rapture. If you like your music chilled out for those lazy Sunday afternoons, then this is for you. – Nat Ripepi
Short Stack
Stack Is The New Black
Universal
Two years ago, three teenagers from Budgewoi would never have imagined their debut album shooting straight to number one. Still, it’s no surprise – offering tastes ranging from the synth pop of Sway Sway Baby, the proverbial rock candy of the music menu, to the slow, crooning Counting the Stars and crazily contagious Princess, Stack is the New Black not only provides something for everyone – it proves the band to be just as sweet, satisfying and thoroughly enjoyable as their namesake. – Mikey James
Jessie Harris
Watching the Sky
Inertia
Grammy award-winning songwriter, Jesse Harris’s new CD requires – and deserves – a lot of attention. With a sound that is very reminiscent of an early Paul Simon, this banjo plucking minstrel is currently touring both the East and West coast of the US on the strength of this career-defining opus. Neither mediocrity nor dullness dampen what is clearly one of the best lyric albums of 2009, with standout tracks including While We Slept and Looking Back. – Terry Larder
The Juju Orchestra
Bossa Nova Is Not A Crime
Agogo Records / Instinctive Travels
This so called ‘orchestra’ is actually 2 guys from Germany, a DJ and a producer, who have mixed live jazz and samples to create a soulful and funky hip shaking album. There’s a touch of Latin and Brazillian spice in there too. What Is Hip features the vocals of jazz/soul legends Terry Callier and Carolyn Leonhart and is indeed very hip. They’ve done a very cool cover of Steely Dan’s Do it Again featuring the vocal talents of Robert Smith and Ms Leonhart again. This is modern club jazz with a vintage groove. – Nat Ripepi
Mark Vincent
My Dream
Sony
Reaching No 2 on the Australian charts for a couple of weeks, this album did not deliver any surprises, if anything it was very predictable. The 19-year old tenor struggles in the top register, nevermore obvious than the opening track, Nessum Dorma, the late Pavarotti’s signature aria. You Raise Me Up and Boyzone’s hit No Matter What are two of the better renditions on this 11 track disc. It has sold well on the strength of him winning the TV show, Australia You’ve Got Talent, but for me the real acid test is going to be the second album. – Terry Larder
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