Though perhaps best remembered in clubland for the Hi-NRG hits she fronted for the Boystown Gang back in the early 1980s, Cynthia Manley's spent most of the time since then with a busy performing and recording schedule serving up Blues and Rock tracks, but for fans of her earlier work, Ms. Manley has graciously returned to the dance music arena with her latest E.P. "Everybody Dance."
Lead cut "Everybody Dance" is buoyantly infectious with its simplistic arrangement that recalls the mid 1990s Euro-Pop heyday of acts like Whigfield, while "Move On Up" has more of a bleepy Techno-Trance feel to it as some hard-edged synth lines come crashing down on the grinding backbeat. "My Desire" is prettier with gracefully soaring electronics over the gently surging rhythm track, but you can really feel the performance strength Cynthia's built up over the years with her confidently swaggering vocal on the rhythmic Rock track "If You Wanna Be Mine." "Everybody Dance," "Move On Up," and "My Desire" are all also featured in briefly extended versions, though caveat emptor, the extended versions are all only in the four-five minute range.
Now while I must admit I was hoping for at least one track with the level of panache found in Manley's most notorious Boystown Gang cut "Cruisin' The Streets" (which can still raise eyebrows today during its rather explicit breakdown) or her sprawling take on "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," and while there's nothing quite on that level included here, this E.P. is still an enjoyable flashback for her longtime followers on the NRG scene and may appeal to some pop fans as well.
