Sparkling debut LP which occasionally crosses the line between eclectic and unfocused
L-Vis 1990 certainly doesn’t hold back with his first full-length album. Among the styles which can be seen to influence Neon Dreams are house, electro, ‘90s dance, UK funky and the bass music scene which L-Vis seems to be lumped into right now. So how do these elements combine over a 56-minute record?
Awkwardly, at times. Even from the start, it’s clear that the Night Slugs man isn’t keeping a tight focus; an atmospheric intro leading into electro-tinged pop-R&B song “Forever You”. It’s not a bad tune, but this sets the tone for an album that can’t (or maybe doesn’t want to) find its niche. The worst instance is when L-Vis should end the album with dusky feel-good tune “One More Day”, but decides to follow it up with a rather messy title track.
The best moments come in the first half of the album. “The Beach” really does stand out; a dark, yet vibrant Chicago house track showcasing the depth which L-Vis is truly capable of. It’s followed by “I Feel It” which, while being a bit more playful, is wonderful with its melodic keys building up a gentle sense of euphoria. The real sense of warmth throughout is to be praised, and is probably attributable to L-Vis’s insistence on the use of analogue hardware in his work.
Bouncy basslines are another area in which the producer excels. “Feel The Void” is a slice of jackin’ brilliance cut straight from the ‘80s and is almost bettered by the searing “Tonight”, only ruined by a somewhat forgettable female vocalist.
In all honesty, substandard pop vocals really hold the album back. The songwriting would leave a lot to be desired in a year 7 Music class and the delivery isn’t all that great either. The vocoder/auto-tune effect is pretty cringeworthy in “Shy Light”, detracting from some enjoyable groove; though to be fair, the vocal modification is used to better effect on “One More Day”. All in all, you can’t escape the feeling that these would’ve been better as instrumental tracks.
A dirty electro sound is used to differing levels of success. “Cruisin’” is one of the weakest tracks, with electro not being a style conducive to slower, drawn-out songs. A much better use of it is on “True Romance”, where the sound grinds beautifully before an Eastern-style breakdown evoking memories of ‘90s hits such as “Heart Of Asia”.
It may be something of a mixed bag from L-Vis 1990, but there’s plenty here both to enjoy and to suggest that he has some excellent productions to come. Leaving behind the clumsy-souding pop elements of this album and focusing on the deeper side of things could be a great formula. On the other hand, this is coming from someone who may only represent a small section of the listeners who he is appealing to...
This album was released by Night Slugs on 3 October 2011 and is available from HMV.
This album was released by Night Slugs on 3 October 2011 and is available from HMV.
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