sonny j - disastro
who/what is sonny j ?
major emi sign ‘him’ to $tateside records (the normally faultless emi soul/funk reissue label), pour in cash for fancy videos/remixes, so obviously someone believes that this is a talent worthy of investment, and the given association with a classic label logo implies all sorts of heaviness going on.
so, given the non existent background (provided on a wiki of course), just what does the keenly anticipated sonny j debut album sound like ?
in one easy catch all phrase : big beat.
the music is predominantly a mass of catchy, hook heavy saturday night friendly samples-n-beats (made-to-order as opposed to genuinely sourced from charity shop finds as we are supposed to believe, thus in the process avoiding all that nasty litigation and clearance costs) making the results sound like a non subtle head nod to the go! team, and those sampling scamps bentley rhythm ace, with a unhealthy love for cheesy lounge music, and snatched tv dialogue.
however, the whole mystery aspect behind the sonny j name, just makes it feel it’s all a scam, and actually makes me suspect that in fact the record is the product of some well connected studio boffin. which if true wouldn’t bother me in the slightest. in fact, i think i’d prefer such a story, as then i would be more understanding and forgiving.
whereas the whole way this has been manufactured makes it feel like the record label is just trying to cash in on a perceived need to have some sample based party music filling up all the right dance charts.
of course, despite my unsubstantiated concerns, the music itself is at times perfectly enjoyable in an instant sugar rush, short shelf like manner.
from the still brilliant disco filled loops of the debut single, can’t stop moving, (you know the one that caused a record label bidding war if the legend is to be believed), to the lo-fi guitar overloaded, enfant terrible, including its will powers styled self belief guru speech things start out wonderfully, to the dubby bleeps-n-vocoder fun of no-fi, and, if sonny j had filled the album with such delightful pop nuggets as those slices of joy i’d have been a happy clappy listener telling you that this 12 tracker were to become my soundtrack for the summer of 2008.
unfortunately though, sonny j has decided to prove that he’s got depth and emotion as well as a massive sample library, and so feels the need to include proper songs such as the drippy, sorrow, which is as the name suggests, rather dreary, and the album closer, sonnrise, in which a second rate johnny cash impersonator (promo copy has no details/credits, so if the singer is your dad, i apologise), is forced to growl gruffly over a cliche heavy banjo plus slide guitar production with a melody that’s been obviously nicked from bob dylans lay lady lay, and trying to come across as a perfect end of party, sunrise (geddit?) ibizia wind down track.
with all that in mind, i’ll give you one guess as to what doing the tango sounds like albeit with a shirley bassey sound-a-like strapped to the advertisers soundtrack.
given the current glut of chancers in the over crowded electro-indie scene, i really wanted a knock-em-dead cut-n-paste sample stuffed pop album to kick me up the arse in 2008 and provide a splash of well needed smiles, and from the two singles sneaky peak, i had genuine high hopes for this release.
such a shame, such a wasted opportunity.
more detail : here