Azari & III have perhaps inevitably garnered comparisons with Hercules & Love Affair, but I’m going to stick my neck out and say they’re even better than their New York counterparts. The Toronto foursome take the classic house music of the 1980s as their blueprint to make music that still sounds relevant as well as raising the irresistible urge to dance yourself crazy. To this end ‘Reckless (With Your Love)’ sounds like a bona fide, recently discovered Chicago house anthem, while ‘Hungry For The Power’ comes on strong like freshly minted Romanthony. What really raises this music, however, is the way it adds something new to its influences, so that it doesn’t sound anything like a tribute act. Often the quartet will build on a simple bass line (‘Indigo’) or a thumping good beat (‘Lost In Time’), developing each of their tracks into formidable floor fillers, while remembering to write memorable lyrical sound bites along the way. A cracking album this, one that manages the tricky balancing act of looking back and stepping forward with aplomb.
5 Out of 5
Reviewed By Ben Hogwood
