Sally Shapiro - Somewhere Else
- Written by Kenneth McMurtrie
Studio album number three from the Swedish duo finds them once more delivering ice cold (though not quite glacial) synthesiser-based pop and typically catchy Italo disco. The album starts and ends slow and moody with ‘I Dream With An Angel Tonight’ and the instrumental ‘Postscript’ but between those it’s glitterball and flashing dancefloor time.
Publicity shy and pursuing recording as a hobby as much as anything (something we at Muso’s can readily relate to) ‘Sally Shapiro’ and producer/musician Johan Agebjorn have followed their resolutely idiosyncratic path since 2006 with a clear sense of enjoyment that less talented but far more driven acts must oft times wish for. It’s not exactly “take it or leave it” but making themselves happy first is the main thing and who can find fault with that in a time when any old dross with a superstar name attached can be splurged across the internet and lapped up in a matter of seconds? Quality control here at least remains firmly in the hands of a pair doing it principally for the love of it.
From ‘All My Life’ until the closing bars of penultimate song ‘Architects Of Love’ then this album becomes one of those that people are wont to heap the title of “album of the summer” upon and I’m quite happy to jump on the cliché bandwagon with the rest. They’re also in line for “amusing title of the year” with track four ‘This City’s Local Italo Disco DJ Has A Crush On Me’.
This is therefore some of the most easily accessible music you’ll come across all year, bringing to mind the best dancey output of Saint Etienne and Goldfrapp but with a firm grasp of the greatest elements of that sophisticated Italo disco sound. Who cares if hell needs to freeze over before you see these tracks performed live? You’d only end up facing the one way like robots (plus that ice wouldn’t stay put long with this level of hot disco action). Get down in your lounge and enjoy with those close to you.
Somewhere Else is out now an available from amazon