Moving Cities, the American debut of English group Faze Action, opens with a magnificent string arrangement. All well and good, one thinks, but the publicity people said it was a dance album. And then the bassline appears, the drums join in, the title song really kicks in, and you find yourself snapping your fingers, tapping the table – bingo! You’re dancing. And now that damn string arrangement won’t go out of your head.
Interestingly enough, this is the first album the brothers Simon and Robin Lee have recorded together in the studio, their previous works having been created with one brother in Japan and the other in England. That internationalism pervades into the album, which layers African singing over jazz- and Latin-influenced four-four house beats, throwing in a touch of disco along the way. The production is flawless, and the percussion work and lush flute on “Kariba” is infectious. And their dance music credentials are seen when the album finds its groove, as it does with the deep vocals of “Got to Find a Way.” There’s a too-much-of-the-sameness in the last few instrumental tracks, which seem indistinguishable, but that’s a minor quibble. If they’re really Moving Cities, we hope they go to wherever you are. B+