Water Music takes special care to curtail eye-rolling as they release their foray into the 80's cover market. Refreshing is the absence of most of the done-to-death singles you'd expect. And, in addition to listing the original artist, they include the year each single was a hit!
The project kicks off with "Upside Down" (Diana Ross) which sours quickly with its too-fast bpm, but moves swiftly to an impressive Prince cover. "Controversy (housetrap remix)" is a massive improvement over the mellower original with its throbbing bass, delayed vocal stacks, and sprinkles of 80s sounds.
Several other noteworthy cuts follow. Surprisingly, "White Wedding" surfaces as the best on the disc. Its meticulous compelling arrangement complements some impressive trance pop programming and low male vocal similar to the original. "A Forest (vegas cossmo remix)" is a different remix than you'll get on the full Blank and Jones project from which it was taken and is an daunting, dark, trance track. "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life" (Indeep) is another well done dance cut including a female lead vocal, a male rapped bridge, tasty vocal production, and a ravey/Scooter-like sound.
Overall, a strong entry into the ever growing pool of dance cover albums. It's heartening to see a project crafted so well.
