Milk Inc. has been around... forever. It seems that way, anyway. They've released a lot of singles and quite a few albums and they are still pumping out music. This is significant as vocal trance groups have sort of died out lately. Lasgo and Ian Van Dahl and 4 Strings have fallen off the radar, and while Milk Inc. hasn't really garnered much international attention since their 2006 cover of "Tainted Love," they have been a constant presence in their native Belgium. Due to the wonder of international imports and the digital age, fans can continue to consume their music, and this has culminated in the release of their 2011 album, Nomansland.
The easiest way to enjoy Nomansland is without really thinking about it. Singer Linda's voice is smooth enough to carry you through the tracks, and when you stop worrying about the fact that you're listening to vocal trance (which does have the stigma of being cheesy), the album comes easily and might even be considered fun. The style does pretty much hearken back to the heyday of vocal trance which, in my mind, is 2003-ish with the rise of some of the aforementioned groups and the prevalence of the genre in mainstream club music. This isn't a detriment, as Milk Inc. embraces the sound wholeheartedly and does it well. It does, however, make Nomansland a rather consistent listen with few standouts despite a positive overall impression.
Singles from Nomansland
The singles "Fire," "Storm," and "Chasing The Wind" don't do a lot to differentiate themselves from one another, but as with the group in general, the production is solid and Linda does a great job with the vocals. It's the lead single, "Blackout," that acts as the album's first standout. Somehow the group incorporates Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" with some pretty serious trance beats. The overall production of “Blackout” also shows a shift from the comfy style of vocal trance that Nomansland has in spades into a more progressive style. The second standout of Nomansland, "Shadow," also feels more progressive, almost like a song that would do well on mainstream radio due to the edge of the beats and the ease of the lyrics. "The final standout track of the album also happens to be one of the best songs I've heard from this type of group in a long time, and it is a dramatic shift from the rest of the album. “Throwaway Boy” is a tried-and-true pop track with deep, round synths and lyrics that are both easy to remember and hard to get out of your head. “Are you a man to keep or a throwaway boy? Are you the real deal baby, or my latest toy? I'm gonna play with you until the end of the day, and if you're not good enough I'm gonna throw you away” are the lyrics of the chorus, and it is easy to see how this song can get etched in your cranium. Linda sings about the man in question needing cash to buy her a ring to be anything more than a toy, and the way she sings the track brings to mind “Material Girl” by Madonna. The bouncy track is primed for crossover appeal, but will anyone notice? That's a better question.Dance 2 Forget" mostly dashes the vocal trance style in favor of a more latin-inspired house groove, that is, until the trance synths come slapping you in the face.
The final standout track of the album also happens to be one of the best songs I've heard from this type of group in a long time, and it is a dramatic shift from the rest of the album. "Throwaway Boy" is a tried-and-true pop track with deep, round synths and lyrics that are both easy to remember and hard to get out of your head. "Are you a man to keep or a throwaway boy? Are you the real deal baby, or my latest toy? I'm gonna play with you until the end of the day, and if you're not good enough I'm gonna throw you away" are the lyrics of the chorus, and it is easy to see how this song can get etched in your cranium. Linda sings about the man in question needing cash to buy her a ring to be anything more than a toy, and the way she sings the track brings to mind "Material Girl" by Madonna. The bouncy track is primed for crossover appeal, but will anyone notice? That's a better question.
Summary
Nomansland is very easy to listen to, with quality tunes from beginning to end. What the album lacks in majority is standout tracks, although with 4 strong tracks that do stand out, I'd say it has a strong ratio already. Overall, however, Nomansland doesn't do much to become a memorable album and I feel this is the weakest point of the entire collection. Replay value is high, but maybe that's because every listen through is like hearing the songs for the first time all over again. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that someone notices “Throwaway Boy” and gets it to the right people.
Released March 2011 on ARS Entertainment