Mark Rae - 'Rae Road' (Grand Central)
3/5
By: Thomas Hannan
On numerous debut albums, talent and potential may well be blindingly obvious, but you can't help but wish that some artists had that little bit more experience that may help them escape the pitfalls of the initial outing that claim so many lives at the first hurdle.
Mark Rae has found a clever way around it all. Although this is, strictly speaking, his debut record, 'Rae Road' benefits hugely from experience gained from his involvement in renowned dance duo, Rae & Christian, as well as his ownership of the Grand Central label - on which he releases this long-awaited LP... And a pretty good effort it is, too. 'Rae Road' consistently manages to succeed where other dance-tinged albums recently have failed due to a lack of variation or ability to laugh, both of which are things that this album has in abundance.
Rae tells of how he 'wanted this record to be almost like a Jackson Pollock', which should give you an idea of the scope of the project. Although the comparison to Pollock may lead you to expect something slightly more leftfield than what is on offer, what you do get is an invigoratingly cheeky take on dance, as the mischievous opener 'Lobster' lets you know right from the off, and - hell - the inclusion of 'proper songs' also makes a nice change. Obviously a practiced lyricist and songwriter as well as record guru and DJ, Mark Rae has enlisted the help of many vocal-talents to add flair to the mix, most notably the soulful tones of Veba (who Rae calls 'the best vocalist I have ever heard'), whose superb virtuoso performance on first single 'Lavish' recalls better sides of Soul 2 Soul, whilst on the vaguely Avalanches sounding funk of 'Fold or Flower', she makes Shirley Bassey sound like a partially-muted pussycat.
Another guest-singer, this time in the shape of Joseph Cotton, provides the album with its standout moment in the stimulating, ragga-garage crossover of 'Candystripe', itself an utter contrast to anything provided by Veba's admirable efforts. The variation is the album's main strength - even if the dance-flavoured R&B style will not be to everyone's taste - and any accusations of dullness or lack of flair simply don't have a leg to stand on. The only times where 'Rae Road' lets itself down, incidentally, are where it becomes too comfortable with itself, for example 'I Need A Fix', which in comparison to everything else just seems rather plain, and 'Bamburgh Dunes', which seems to show a slight slip in the level of imagination.
Otherwise, the continuity in terms of worthwhile, memorable tunes is a big achievement. It never leans towards self-indulgence, stands up to intensive listening and always keeps a firm grip on luscious, catchy melodies such as those in 'Dime Train' and 'Make No Mistake'. It won't revitalise what according to some reports is a dying scene all by itself, but others in the game would do well to take notice; it's become clear now that being mediocre will not get you anywhere for long - and 'Rae Road' may well be the path to take.
Artists in this article: Mark Rae
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