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The best new dance disc of the year comes from a land better known for its
politically-inspired rock and roll bands. From that land Down Under comes
Since I Left You, by the six-person crew known as The Avalanches. Their
remarkable pastiche of 70s soul, old school hip hop, modern techno, and
obscure samples, coalesces into a sonic melange that is both old and new,
cutting-edge and retro, and always so chic.
From the opening title track, which sounds like it was ripped from a Jackson 5 record, to "Frontier Psychiatrist," which is assembled from a series of samples taken from old Westerns, the disc strikes the listener because it is so blazingly original, yet at the same time so low-fi and comfortable. You have heard this all before and yet it sounds crisp and fresh. How do the Avalanches manage this minor miracle? Originality is the first key. "Stay Another Season" (which sounds like it might have been recorded at a roller rink or during the video shoot for the Sugar Hill Gang's "Rappers Delight") samples generously from "Since I Left You," the song right before it in the track list. Throughout the disc, songs run into one another and double back, a gimmick that could have been disastrous in the wrong hands. On this disc, though, the trick of letting one track sample the one before gives the entire collection an organic feeling and a delicious flow. The group is obviously confident. "Avalanche Rock" might clock in at only 23 seconds, but it serves its purpose well and leads right into "Flight Tonight" and "Close To You," to create a potent set of dance songs. Great dance discs get people on the dance floor involuntarily. You are moving your feet before you even realize what is happening. Since I Left You is not only a great dance disc, but also one of the best records of 2001. |
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