Tell Me I Can EP

By: James Mowbray & Leigham Sullivan
Label: Four:Twenty
Written by: kev_obrien
Rating: 9/10

Amidst an aural landcape that's been savagely invaded by the artificial sounds of Detroit, proper house records seem to have become a rarity as of late. Apparently James Mowbray and Leigham Sullivan didn't get the memo. Their latest joint effort on the soaring Four:Twenty imprint should serve as an immense breath of fresh air for house purists. For those hungry for unadulterated house music, the Tell Me I Can EP serves it up smörgåsbord style, with eight originals and a crowd pleasing reworking from the ever-talented Christian Prommer.

The title track, Tell Me I Can, works it's way into the bones, headed up by a luscious ethnic vocal and a rising, arpeggiated synth line; while Free Harmonic Blues sends you off into la-la-land, using massive pads and an understated verbal message as it's vehicle.

Come Out of the Shade is certainly a tune with a fitting title, as Mowbray and Sullivan venture off the organic path a bit, using heavy percussion to build tension into a feverishly funky vibe during the latter half of the excursion. The shuffling rhythm has a big Irish influence, so we can only guess that Leigham steered the ship in that direction, before taking a dive into deeper waters with Untitled.

For those hungry for a bit of peak-hour madness, Christian Prommer caps off the EP with a breathtaking remix of Tell Me I Can. Tension continues to build for the duration, but the rhythm remains loose enough to create a big bounce effect that gets the blood pumping and the sweat dripping.