Search - Luke Slater :: Alright on Top

Indeed alright on top

F. D Royster | Aurora, IL United States | 08/10/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Luke Slater, however, is usually known for his aggressive four to the floor techno. Madonna fan's nearly strung him up by his ankles after turning her ballad the Power of Goodbye to a pounding industrial techno stomper.

It was shocking to fans, critics and DJ's alike that Slater decided to make a pop album. A lot of people don't like this album, but I think its enjoyable. Artists always take it on the chin for changing musical directions, or "underground artists" trying pop. I think its brave.



Luke Slater's sonic barrage of beats is still there, but is also an homage to early 80s synth pop.Traditional verse chorus song structures, along with New Order basslines and Erasure synth arpeggios rub up against 4/4 techno, and broken breakbeats.

As much as it is Slater album, it could also be a solo effort by Ricky Barrow. Soulful, gravely but also cool, his vocals give these songs an above the Brittany-Justin pop edge



Nothing At All takes those trade mark Slater beat assaults and tames them with pop sensibility, Thomas Dolby synths, and Barrow's slightly soulful vocal.



You Know What I Mean is a midtempo number that crackles with sexy electronic burts of energy then errupts into a big New Wave chorus.



Stars and Heroes is the crowning single of Alright on Top, and is great homage to early 80s synthpop, but with a modern 21st century feel. Bouncy synth bass, arcade noises(i thought my cell phone was going off...it was actually the song) and analog synth pads cushion Barrows best vocal delivery on the record.



I Can Complete You is full on retro 80s action, with a completely vocoded vocal. Only mediocre.



Only You thankfully picks up the pace again with some amazing breakbeat drum programming and scratch work by Slater, and a great vocal performance by Barrow, along with some deep bass and 80s synth lines. A nod to New Order comes at the end with some very Bernard Sumner-esque guitar work.



Take Us Apart Is like Erasure on speed...a bad batch of it.Follows the formula of I Can Complete you, but works much better as hyper synth pop with a heavier 4/4 beat.



Searchin For A Dream Follows Only You with more great breakbeat/big beat work and taking a break from the retro-lectro action.



Take Me Round Again is much more typical Slater sonic techno barrage but this time with vocals by Barrow.



Doctor of Divinity is more typical Slater like techno with its Beltram like beats and electronic crackles of noise on top of more subdued 80s influences



Alright On Top doesnt bring any huge innovations to electronic music. But if you try not to live in Luke Slaters past and accept it as it is, its a good electropop record."

Not alright

Thomas Immel | 09/13/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This disc is not so hot. The singers' voice is not 'gravelly', but rather fairly annoying, with endless repetition the seeming ultimate goal. Our maximalist hero, alas, pushes the boundaries in some very previously-explored directions. People were ready to follow Luke Slater off the edge of the earth before this disc came out. Who knows what is next for the guy.



There are some tracks that are not THAT bad, but tracks like Only You and Stars and Heroes can be instantly deleted from your hard drive if you rip this disc. There are several tracks that would be good if you could delete the voice over. It's like Slater creates this wall of sound and bass in your room (e.g. Searchin for a Dream), and this guy walks in and starts mumbling next to your head. No offense Mr. Slater, but it just doesn't work.



This thing is going for one U.S. penny on the used listings. Let that be a review in itself."