Album Review by EDF
Ari Gold’s debut album brought him to the attention of Desmond Child, who worked with the likes of Cher, Bon Jovi and Aerosmith to name but a few. This however is not a rock album but a modern soul and funk album that is both commercial and pleasing to the ear. In fact, there are a few guest producers, writers and musicians here that read like a who’s who of the pop world.
Filling a void that lies somewhere between cheesy and intelligent R&B, Gold has co-produced and co-written most of the tracks that, on the surface, have a lot of potential. From the slow, lush title track to the funky FUNK THAT SHIP, both tracks showcase what to expect from this album. FAN-TASTIC has the added bonus of featuring a sitar, giving the track a unique sound. There are also successful attempts of sounding cool with tracks like CAUGHT and BACK TO ME.
Not all the tracks hit the spot. An uninspired version of Culture Club’s DO YOU REALLY WANT 2 HURT ME lets the album down, and so does MORE THAN ENOUGH that is so bland it is devoid of any energy needed to save this track. On BASHERT, Gold’s vocals are quite good but the lyrics are a bit tepid. If Gold’s lyrics are to be questioned, then this applies none more so than to HE’S ON MY TEAM, a duet with Kandra Ross.
Then there are other tracks that come across as indifferent. These include INTIMATE and RE:UNION which border on dull / interesting, depending on how you feel when you’re listening to them. Business picks up with the inclusion of the dance influenced WAVE OF YOU, a track taken from his debut album and LOVE WILL TAKE OVER.
Gold shows a lot of promise but due to the number of different producers and writers sprawled all over the album, this collection of songs don’t work together enough to make them sound like a complete album. There is a strong urge to hit the fast forward button on half the tracks and that’s not good. Ari Gold is here to stay but he will have to step up a gear or two if he wants to be in the limelight.
