Mj Cole - Sincere (26 tracks) +Album Reviews

#10 Album of 2000

Gary Lancaster | Dallas, TX United States | 12/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"UK Garage may be the fad of the moment in dance music, but it occupies a special place as the first mainstream-accessible tendril of the beast known as electronica. Combining the skittering drums and booming bass of drum and bass, the soul of R&B, and the thump and tempo of house, UK Garage has proven itself a profitable endeavor in terms of finance and art. The finest of the current crop is British wunderkind MJ Cole. Classically trained, he creates compositions that are perfectly crafted and slickly produced. And this is not a bad thing. It's the one thing that may drag American R&B into the 21st century and out of the ghetto of Babyface."

One of the best CDs to come out this year!

Luke Drelick | Buffalo, NY | 12/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, after searching all of downtown Toronto for it, I have finally found this CD... UK Garage heads have been hyping this album months before it even arrived on promo, and the release of 12" vinyl songs like "I See" and "Crazy Love" made everyone's appetite stir... Well this album has hit, and it's absolutely fabulous. Even though UK Garage is my favorite style of music, there are very few songs in the genre that even come close to delivering the emotional impact that MJ Cole does on this album... Almost every track is pure and utter class, using top-of-the-line production and crisp synths. Nothing is too overly poppy and a lot of the album has a very chilled, ambient feel. Hold On To Me has got to be the best song on the track, the 2-step beats are perfect, the melody is there, and the vocals are absolutely gorgeous... I See is a fantastic love song, although it's much more downtempo than the rest of this album, the lyrics are definitely intelligent and just puts you in a chill mood. There is no denying that Sincere and Crazy Love, the 2 big singles off the album, are classic UK Garage tracks in its own right, it's a shame they didn't include the fantastic Todd Edwards mix of Crazy Love though... The only disappointment I have with the album is that You're Mine with Guy S'Mone wasn't included on the album and the album promised to have a bit more 4 to the floor garage (there is a rumor going around that record label owners wanted MJ to make the album fully 2-step to reflect the total dominance of the 2-step sound over the UK Garage scene)... If you even like UK Garage a bit, this album is for you... If you never heard of UK Garage before but prefer something a bit more soulful than the glut of vacuous pop music, cheesy trance, depressing rock music and lame heavy metal, this album is a MUST BUY!!!"

GOD I LOVE THIS!

Kurt Lennon | Calgary | 09/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Simply one of my favorite albums I have ever taken the chance to purchase. They say the best music is the one that can take you back to a certain era of your life, a time that is forever in your mind when you hear the songs. This album is chockful of those moments: hearing "Tired Games" or "Sincere" takes me back a few years: although it doesn't always remind me of the best events or people, it is still a wonderful CD to me, and I still love to listen to it and relax. The one shame is that it's so over-looked here: I'd buy a "2-step" album over some generic rap anyday, and this is about as good as UK Garage gets. Lush, organic, and sincere (pardon the pun), everyone is encouraged to own this album."

2 Steps into the Groove.

The Groove | Boston, MA | 09/16/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"On these American shores, MJ Cole is best known for his UK garage treatment of Mariah Carey's single "Loverboy." Armed with jittery beats and a jerky bassline, it helped introduce 2-step to the US. His album, "Sincere," doesn't stray that far from what the average dance guru expects from a two-step release: nervous drumbeats, rubbery basslines with some vocals and rapping. But what separates this from the rest of the pack is the attention to melody and song structure. This is a two-step album with soul, and from the word "go," the beat never relents. But Cole is no one trick pony, as he also incorporates mid-tempo r&b which saves "Sincere" from being one-dimensional. Some snobs may call two step "so 2001," but this record is still noteworthy and solid enough to deserve your attention."

Excellent example of the more "sophisticated" two-step sound

littleoldme | Fort Collins, CO United States | 08/30/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It took me a long time to get into this album. After purchasing it, I gave it a listen, enjoyed parts of it, but overall wasn't too enthralled. It also doesn't help that the American version (which I bought; why doesn't it show up here at Amazon?) sticks all the worst tracks at the beginning. The intro is bland and inoffensive with only a catchy piano riff to keep interest. "Tired Games" and "Attitude" both follow the basic two-step format, except that everything exciting and catchy has been taken out. "Bandelero Desperado" has a great title, but truly embarassing rapping, and the "MJ FM Interlude" is a waste. Do we really need two interludes bookending three lame tracks?
Fortunately, MJ Cole redeems himself in spades for the rest of the disc. "Crazy Love" and "Sincere" are the big singles, and justly so, but don't forget "Sanctuary", the chillout vibe of "I See", the more upbeat tones of "Rough Out Here" and "Hold On To Me", and the rougher "Slum King". From "Crazy Love" on out, the album knocks out hit after hit, and never looks back. Also, special thanks goes out to the remixers of "Crazy Love" and "Sincere" at the end of the disc: they're both excellent.
So it turns out all the hype about MJ Cole was actually pretty legitimate after all. Just start the CD at track 6, and you'll experience the art of two-step at some of its finest."

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