Star Slinger is the nom de plume of a white geezer from Nottingham who manages to bring out the best elements of US pop to the usually unwelcoming UK gloom. A little bit of colour, flare and fluid groove augers well for this project. Not barnstorming enough to have you collecting your jaw from the pavement, it has plenty of variety and encouragement to suggest even better things.
The cream of urban groovers are enlisted to lend their vocals to the record. When James Vincent McMorrow does his best Marvin Gaye on Slow Love, all seems good with the world. Star Slinger leapfrogs the genres of hip hop and house which makes his shtick stick, with some innovative sampling and managing to get a variety of styles in the mix.
If It Shall Come and Looking To Be Seen has a knife edge precision that comes from being a seasoned crate-digger who can blend every soulful vocal with a triumph of creative thought.
Hypnotic details pervade songs like Pardon and blend it with a liberal splash of profanity. Paz is angular and the sigh-like vocals give way to Wish Upon, igniting a madcap consciousness. This is a polished record that warrants repeated listens and rewards such an endeavour while drawing on the best elements of funk and soul.
By Bronius Zumeris
