- Artist
- Chromeo
- Label
- Back Yard
- Release date
- 30th July 2007
- Genre
- Electronica
Salacious electro-funk sophomore effort from Canadian synth duo
Kitsch ‘80s disco, apparently, is where it’s at right now. For all of the advances being made in electronic music across the board, the cool kids are looking back to this period for inspiration once more. Pee Thug and Dave 1, aka Montreal duo Chromeo, found fans in the UK following support slots for Bloc Party, and are the latest act to demonstrate this. Fancy Footwork is certainly more Manhattan Transfer then NY Beat, eschewing the more traditionally hip set of influences in favour of glitzy electro-funk reminiscent of Rick James.
This album’s unabashed cheesiness is endearing and infectious, and it’s impossible to deny that the duo have a good line in songwriting ability and lyrical flair. However at times, it can be hard to separate form from function: the clanging percussion, trilling synthesisers and dayglo vocals of tracks like Fancy Footwork and Tenderoni can grate rather rapidly. Instead, it’s on tracks such as the Supertramp-esque Momma’s Boy - where the song is not swamped in glitter and given a bit of room to breathe - that Chromeo shine.
More to try: Rick James: Street Songs Calvin Harris: I Created Disco Timex Social Club: Vicious Rumours
