reviewed by Catherine Woolf
As part of the same collective of producers and songwriters as Faithless and Dido, Rob Dougan helped produce and remix some of the hugest dance tracks of the nineties, but America wouldn't even know about him if it weren't for his presence on the soundtrack of the first two Matrix films. Dougan's solo work is symphonic and epic, pairing strings and breakbeats with meticulous care and maximum dramatic effect, and his weathered voice contrasts beautifully with the sheen of his tracks. Coming on at times like a more morbid Tom Waits ("There's Only Me," "Drinking Song") or a more melodic Nick Cave (the chilling "Left Me For Dead," "Speed Me Towards Death"), Dougan is a techno troubador with something for everyone to like on his debut, pressed here in the U.S. with an extra disc of instrumental versions of his songs and a couple of excellent videos. Not to be missed.
- Catherine Woolf
