THE BLUE NILE
High (Sanctuary)
THE Glasgow group’s fourth album may be eagerly greeted by a certain section of over-35s, but the kids will still prefer Coldplay. Musically, the Blue Nile haven’t moved on much since their 1980s epic Hats, although High does boast some truly beautiful songs. Paul Buchanan’s mournful voice is at its best on Because of Toledo and the title track, while She Saw the World and Soul Boy pick up the pace and lighten the mood. The band’s atmospheric sound has been much copied over the years, but the original takes some beating.
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Two Culture Clash (Wall of Sound)
MUCH fun was no doubt had when some of Britain’s hippest electro producers decamped to Jamaica to work with old and new dancehall stars. But the mix of reggae vocals and modern beats is patchy. Jon Carter’s opening contribution is way too tame, while only Roni Size’s drum’n’bass-sprinkled Knock Knock hits on a startling new sound. Howie B does well with Horace Andy and Justin Robertson’s Save Me is great but hardly groundbreaking. Love Guide is the highlight thanks to Ms Thing as vocalist.
R. KELLY
Happy People/U Saved Me (Jive)
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EACH of the discs on this double album gets its own title and concept. On the CD sleeve, the R&B superstar Kelly dresses up in outfits to correspond to the songs. So he’s in disco threads for Happy People, a collection of smooth, mid-tempo numbers about girls dancing and looking good. The ludicrous Red Carpet is about how much he loves having his photo taken. Yet Kelly just about pulls it off. The second disc features gospel songs and shows off his magnificent voice. But it’s self-indulgent at 21 tracks.
TREMBLE
Ballroom Blues (Different)
THIS classy debut by the Manchester duo — singer Tracey Elizabeth and classically trained guitarist G-Sharp — shows that they think British dance music was better in the 1990s. They pilfer from Portishead, Massive Attack, Morcheeba and Sneaker Pimps as they set sexy, bluesy vocals to ghostly soundscapes, dreamy beats and sassy guitar-pop. The lyrics are pretentious in places, but when Tremble hit their stride on the old single 40% and the blues guitar and beats-backed Inanimate, their spooky world is well worth a visit.