SG Lewis has been a motor and shaker in the UK electronics scene since the deep house boom of 2015. His debut album features a mix of house music, disco revival, and a poppy-seed aesthetic that gives most of his songs a radio-friendly vibe.
Feed The Fire is an airy encounter between a syncopated bass line and some infectiously catchy toplines, songwriting that would make you feel at home Dua LipaFuture nostalgia. meanwhile Nile Rodgers, its choppy chords that were previously the victim of severe oversaturation, go perfectly with the funky One More (although the mastering here and at Chemicals is too loud).
Back To Earth takes us back to the era of David Morals With a nifty flute loop that rolls over moody chords and repetitive vocals, a triumph of arrangement and sound design, and Rosner’s interlude contains a sparkling arpeggiator about the insight of the disco engineer of the same name (“When the music is not harmonious, moves I don’t feel like getting up from my chair to dance ”).
A cynic would note at this point that the album contains really interesting ideas, mostly dealing with tropes and worn influences, and it would be a fair conclusion to be drawn. Heartbreak On The Dancefloor is a very pretty melody, but its central idea is a fusion of Sexual Healing-like production and the more modern technique of vocoded harmonies. The recording also ends in failure, with the pace and ballad vocal performance completely missing the mark.
It is the penultimate songs that show some signs of invention. Impact exhibits an unlikely chemistry between Robyn and Channel Tres, while All We Have drives a slow, progressive build with an expert pace and a unique groove feel. But time spends too much time sounding like an imitation.
