A really simple, really smooth piece of Jellybean house sidling up close and personal from the smitten, can’t-believe-he’s-almost-fudged-this-up Mr D’Bonneau, the South Carolina/NYC stalwart thanking Cupid with both a piercing thankfulness and sweaty soul seeking of forgiveness.
Say You’re Gonna Stay has aged gracefully because of the freeness of the piano-stroked beats, pinned with an opening keyboard line in that Gypsy Woman, Show Me Luv, Niche bassline-predating mould from the mid-'90s. Bearing in mind some of the fashion horrors from said decade, its reintroduction is even more exceptional. Even if “as happy as a kitten up a tree” may not be the most romantic outpouring of feelings you’ve heard amongst the abundance of gratitude to Eros. For the sake of an even argument (that old killjoy), has deep soulful house evolved at such a slug-like rate that this has no problem catching up on today’s sounds?
Anyway, it’s a fine flutterer of soul repentance, whatever era it represents. For the 2008 updates, the sunshine-powered pianos of Brazil’s DJ Meme heighten the gushing nature of the vocal and in its own way give the original a bit of oomph. Recorded from the fluffiest of heaven’s clouds (or perky soulful house in a nutshell for all surly earth-dwellers), it’s value and sentiment will doubtless appreciate once you’ve hit hotter clubbing climes. Another US veteran, Brooklyn’s Jovonn and his Next Moov club mix, fine tunes a much sleeker, seductive and again really easy to get into stepper (digital up-down bassline and a smattering of Clangers-like synths within idyllic, star-speckled shadows – D’Bonneau’s ruefulness now has the object of affections drifting away more), opting out of onrushing hugs in favour of feeling and touching its way into emotions