Jean Claude Ades - Finally!

Let's get this straight from the outset: Finally will sell very nicely indeed.  Jean Claude Ades' work is very much slanted to the commercial, vocal end of the house spectrum, and so it has strong appeal to a demographic who really do go out there and buy artists' albums.
But this said, is it actually any good?  Well, I'm pleased to say, yes it is.  Despite being someone who finds much of the standard "etiquette" of vocal house to be uninspired at best, Ades has come up with something which is as refreshingly unconventional as it is well produced.  Some of the arrangements really are quite inspiring: notably, Shingaling cuts from a rigid 4/4 house groove dominated by a bouncy, playful bassline to a choral, almost folk-inspired  vocal - and then straight back again.  On the one hand it can feel a bit like an interruption to the electronic atmosphere, but it is remarkable effective in injecting a summer-fuelled party vibe into the music.

As things progress to Someday, Ades presents the kind of vocal house that I personally don't quite buy into.  There lots of soft drum patterns and gentle synth melodies overlaying an extreme use of flanger effects, all "tied together" by a diva belting out a vocal line straight over the top.  Sliding into I Begin to Wonder 2008, things don't really show much sign of change.  It's essentially high street music, but to be fair it does have enough restraint in terms of melody to pass as credible.  Massive, massive trancey breakdown, female vocal loop from yesteryear (they don't make 'em like they used to etc etc) - you get the picture.

By Perfect Moment, things have moved up half a gear.  There's a (welcome) techy element in the air as percussive layers take centre stage away from the vocals.  It certainly provides a refreshing ambience in contrast to the melodic tracks it follows, and Ades lays down some softer synth sounds here to produce an impressive and complex interaction between melody and rhythm.  Needless to say, the mood is relentlessly upbeat.

Then there's melodic, syncopated basslines to complement the drums which hold the whole thing together - and the album certainly excels at recreating a Balearic vibe at home.  The production is carefully considered and, on the whole, excellent at presenting gentle, evolving sounds which strip down to bare beats in all the right places.

Slap that Bitch brings a refreshingly funky element to the mix, keeping the melody simple and the vocals more restrained.  An electro squelch dominates the low end while building percussion zooms through the higher frequencies.  Good stuff, and a welcome intermission from vocal dominance.

By the time Fallin kicks in, the vocals are back with a vengeance, and from here on in they're sticking around.  At heart, it's soulful, vocal house.  You'll already know for yourself whether those words induce shudders of joy or dread: buy it or bemoan it accordingly.