The French Outlines trio caused a bit of a ruckus a few years back with their timely “Just A Little Lovin'”, then later proved they weren’t a one-hitter with the equally infectious “Listen To The Drums” last year, both of which featured heavily in tastemaking dj’s playlists across a broad musical spectrum. Not surprisingly, there’s a fair amount of anticipation that meets the debut LP, as Irfane, Jerome Hadey & Jay1 (collectively Outlines) present their full audio manifesto for inspection. Freewheeling across funk, rap, house, disco, jazz, and beats, it’s that rare thing that manages to balance modern studio savvy with excellent songs and musicianship. The title cut illustrates this perfectly – fidgety chopped up melodies over a nervy beat, gentle acousitc guitar, piano and a wistful female sample, matched against Irfane’s yearning soulful lyrics. It doesn’t end there, with the ultra-catchy “Matter Of Time” picking up like a fuller vocalled “Just A Little Lovin'”; “Bounce” sounding like a re-edited early 80’s rare funk groove; and “Too Much To Ask” still coming on-like the finely tuned pop song aching for a pop at the charts like it did first time around. That intimate, easy going vibe they manage to suggest resonates throughout, making it a winner for those hazy summer evenings, and demonstrates why French music is the hottest thing in the universe right now.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Darren Wall