Posted by Gosia Mrugala
Born in Vermont and now based in L.A., MORGAN PAGE has been making electronic music from the age of 12. It’s fair to say he’s come a long way. His crowd-pleasing, mellisonant originals and remixes are evidence of a talent that has evolved successfully. Page’s new album In The Air (showcased recently here at bpmtv.com) has its listless patches, but nevertheless offers some rapturous tracks that should satisfy the craving for stellar progressive house, whether in the comfort of your home or car, or wheeling around the dance floor. Let’s break it down.
1.”In The Air” – Hands-down, my favourite track on the album. Angela McCluskey‘s soothing susurrus of a voice dances evocatively to the beat Page lays down. A great way to start things off.
2. “Where Did You Go” – A more upbeat approach. Definitely made to get the crowd moving at the club. If anything, it’s maybe a bit too dance-y for my tastes. But no denying the strength of the rhythm.
3. “Body Work” – I have to say, I absolutely love Tegan and Sara‘s voices here. An upbeat track, this is definitely going on my playlist for the gym. Perfect for dancing your ass off, “Body Work” has been floating around since last year, but has gained well deserved popularity thanks to Page’s own club mix and reworks by Lazy Rich and Richard Dinsdale.
4. “Carry Me” – I don’t think I know anyone who can say they aren’t entranced with Nadia Ali’s voice; small wonder she graces tracks by so many different DJs.The melding of voice and rhythm here is most grazioso. Press play and let it “carry” you to a state of musical euphoria.
5. “The Only One” – A mellifluous love song that creates a mellow, halcyon mood. Best enjoyed at home with headphone — I don’t see this moving the dance floor, unless there’s club-tempo remix in the works (which: not a bad idea).
6. “S.O.S.” – A unique trance spin on The Police‘s 1979 classic “Message In A Bottle” about a desert island castaway in search of love. A surprisingly successful remake — definitely worthy of a listen.
7. “The Actor” – I do like the lyrics to this track, but the rhythm isn’t satisfying my musical senses. All in all, an OK track, but a bit insipid compared to some of the other material on the album. Can’t say I would personally press replay for this one.
8. “Missing” – Nothing “missing” on this track. An aberrant yet interesting start, a warm, flowing melody and a catchy rhythm that won’t let you stay perfectly still.
9. “Light Years” - I’m a big fan, personally, of adding real instruments (like the piano in this track) to lend a “classical” touch to a track. This is a soothing, almost pianissimo trance track, with impressive lyrics. Have to admit, I pressed replay on this one more than once or twice.
10. “Love Mistaken” - I can’t say this one really left a lasting imprint in my musical memory the way some of the others did. It’s a decent enough trance track but a bit of an oblivion for me, frankly.
11. “Gimme Plenty” – A funky sound to this track, with Shana Halligan’s vocals lending a welcome touch of soul. Seductive!
12. “Video” - Again, the great voices of Tegan and Sara. The addictive vocal hook with its “electro” sound lends the perfect kick to this track’s captivating trance rhythm. I pressed repeat — so will you.
13. “Addicted” - Greg Laswell’s vocals mesh ideally with the calm yet surprisingly “addictive” beat that Page has worked up for this one. It borders on the mellow, but still has enough of a kick that it can be enjoyed on the dancefloor.
Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.
