I copped this off Discogs last week, (yes I still buy CDs) and after thrashing it in my car for the past few days I have to say it is one of the most sophisticated and finest electronic/dance albums ever produced.
It's probably going on nearly twenty years old but it sounds as if it could of come out yesterday.
MJ Cole has a great talent for arrangement, always going with the less-is-more approach that lets all the instruments and elements of his tracks breath. Groove is in-built in his DNA, the drum sequencing in all the songs is absolutely swinging.
Something about his music always sounds so sophisticated and lush, when I listen I feel like I'm cruising along the Mediterranean in an Italian sports car (ha I'm not, I'm cruising the streets of Geelong and my car is as old as this album)
I guess it's his instrumentation, lots of strings, horns and Fender Rhodes galore. Oh yeah and the fact he's a classically trained pianist might have something to do with it too.
Cats from the UK will probs know about Garage music, but for the rest of the world who haven't had the pleasure yet, here's a really informative vid of the big man explaining it himself
Highlights of the album? The Introduction is awesome, with that nice little piano run there at the beginning, I love Sanctuary and Strung-out, but the obvious highlights are Crazy love and Sincere.
I can't even image the sense of nostalgia hearing Sincere must bring back for veteran ravers of that era (any of you out there?) I guess it's those dreamy reverse string samples and MASSIVE vocal that made this tune a certified classic.
If your into EDM, don't sleep on this, bust out the Gucci loafers and the bottles of champagne!
check out the full album on youtube or keep an eye out for it in stores. MJ Cole is still out there making music, and you can check that here https://soundcloud.com/mj-cole
Did you ever own this album? any one out there go raving on UKG nights in London? Let me know !