Music Groove | Beautifully Descriptive Review of MJ Cole
********
I came across an excellent review of 'Sincere' which also happens to
have some beautifully descriptive impressions of each 'Sincere'
composition. A beautiful and faultless review from Lunar Magazine.
Check it below.
And also pasted the tracklisting of the Japan version of 'Sincere' which
has 2 extra rare tracks appended at album's end (18 tracks, compared to
16 on UK release, & comes with the obi).
wesley
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from LunarMagazine
[Image]
MJ Cole Sincere
by Sterling McGarvey
One of the first superstars to break out of the relatively new genre of
2-Step/UK Garage is Mr. Matthew James Coleman. Most of us know him as MJ
Cole. He has been producing tracks for quite some time, but his biggest
breakout hit is the seminal anthem "Sincere," a track that has been
remixed ad nauseum in the three years since its release. His album, of
the same title, is certainly just as powerful and influential as the
single.
"Sincere" is one of those albums that goes alongside Goldie's "Timeless"
or Roni Size's "New Forms" as a primer CD for someone who's curious
about a genre of music that's new to them. I would absolutely recommend
this album to anyone who's got even the slightest hunch of interest in
2-Step. However, those who lack any discernible Soul need not apply.
What is especially interesting is that like his labelmate, Roni Size, MJ
has a very distinctive sounding style to what he does. The way that he
sets up his drum sequences is extremely distinguishable, much like Mr.
Size's unmistakable emphasis on the drums in Drum n' Bass. One can hear
an MJ Cole remix or original track and detect his production from
certain indicators, such as the aforementioned drum patterns and his
penchant for using synthesized string plucks.
The introduction is like a warped mish-mash of piano loops and samples
from "Sincere" slowed down over a rugged bassline. It leads quite nicely
into the second track, "Tired Games," featuring Elizabeth Troy, who does
the vocals on many of "Sincere's" 16 tracks. The stop-and-start guitar
of "Tired Games" might make you pause upon first listen. Rest assured,
there is nothing wrong with your speakers. There is nothing wrong with
your CD player. You will know once you hear the drum kicks creep up and
jump right in. More vocal madness ensues with "Attitude." "Bandolero
Desperado" boasts the MCing talents of Garage vocalist Danny Vicious.
While many people tout the track as one of their favorites on the album,
the piano-looping intro to the track is so well-crafted that the
remainder of the track feels like it's just downhill from there.
Literally, the first thirty seconds of this track are so incredibly
slamming that the moment the beat changes, the track has lost me. Now,
the next track, "MJ FM Interlude," is rather interesting, as the track
simulates a pirate radio station in London, complete with phone calls,
shout outs and MJ's second single, "Crazy Love" played in snippets as
Danny Vicious busts a flow to finish out the interlude and lead into the
masterful track..."Crazy Love."
If you haven't heard it, "Crazy Love" sounds like one of the major
tracks with major crossover appeal in the States. Complete with the
trademark string plucking, percussion and vocals from Elizabeth Troy,
any "Urban" radio DJ could slyly sneak this one into the playlists and
get some buzz from it. "You're Mine" is a track with just the right
vibe. It sounds like the soundtrack to a warm Sunday afternoon at the
park. "Sanctuary" is another vocal track with some bounce to it. It's
better than album filler, but it doesn't stand out against the power of
some of the other songs on the CD.
"I See" is a break (no pun intended) from the uptempo pace of the rest
of the album. It feels like an Anglicized version of a Timbaland track.
It is markedly the slowest song on the album. The slowness is merely a
blip on the radar as one of the most well-known 2-Step tracks ever
produced fires up. The funny thing about "Sincere" is that one must hear
it on a good sound system to pick up a lot of the strange little
cadences of the track. The difference between hearing the weird backward
vocal inflections on headphones or dinky computer speakers and hearing
them on a nice stereo system makes all the difference.
"Strung Out" is a very moody orchestral track. It feels very warm, then
chilly at sudden points. The strings add a very nice touch to the track
though. "Rough Out Here" features the vocals of Guy Simone, who sounds
like he's channeling the spirits of Al Green and Luther Vandross at the
same time. "Slum King" just sounds like a rough, rugged peak hour track.
From its uptempo intro to the hard, rolling bassline, this one is
designed to replace asses on chairs with coats and purses.
"Radio Interlude" sounds like someone flipping back and forth between
garage on the radio and Afro-Brazilian sounds one would hear during
Gilles Peterson's mix shows on Radio 1 in London. Elements of all of the
sounds on the radio dial meld into one solid vocal track that leads out
into MJ's third commercial single, "Hold On To Me." It is a track that
is on par with the sounds of "Crazy Love" and "Sincere" in that it has a
hell of a lot of commercial appeal to it. However, commercial certainly
does not equate with bubble gum pop in this case. The production is
butter smooth as the drums skip along. One of the biggest highlights of
the album is the final track, "Free My Mind." Simone's vocals serenade
over a track that is gorgeous, for lack of a more descriptive term. It's
not a dancefloor mover, but it is definitely a track that sounds
fantastic, makes a great wind-down, and leaves one feeling very
satisfied with the purchase.
Many will argue that 2-Step/UK Garage is a shallow, one-dimensional
genre that will fade like overchewed gum. However, albums like "Sincere"
go to prove that UK Garage is more than a fad. The level of
craftsmanship that lends itself to this production puts it leagues above
any derision. Purchase "Sincere." It might be a bold statement, but this
is the equivalent of "New Forms" for the genre. We can only wait and see
if the Garage craze comes ashore to the States as it has in Europe.
JPN printing of 'Sincere'
Introduction
Tired Games
Attitude
Bandelero Desperado
MJ FM Interlude
Crazy Love
You're Mine
Sanctuary
I See
Sincere
Strung Out
Rough Out Here
Radio Interlude
Slum King
Hold On To Me
Free My Mind
Give Me Back My Love
Guilty
--
wesley
+
Monday Michiru |
http://www.fujiint.co.jp/FACTORY/LOT0021/sunshine-v.ram
Nikka Costa |
http://kcrw.com/cgi-bin/ram_wrap.cgi?/mb/mb010220Nikka_Costa
MJ COLE | http://www.ministryofsound.co.uk/asx/radio/mjcole.asx
Sugar Soul | http://www.SugarSoul.com
tokyo|konnect is | Soul Sound Lounge
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TK
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