BnB Review: Mason - They Are Among UsWritten by Youri Jozee  Dance/Pop - We bet you still remember Mason's international chart topper Exceeder (ft. Princess Superstar), which was one of 2007s biggest dance floor tunes. But those days are long gone, and the boys have further explored the possibilities of merging powerful electronic hooks to classic songwriting. “The album is a reflection of our love for pop songs, Italo disco and funk, while keeping it fun and playful”, Mason explains. That indeed fits the sound of their new longplayer, which has become a collection of twelve very diverse tunes that all have that in fashion crossover appeal. The album opens with the Italo-inspired Runaway, a track revolving around mesmerizing strings, vintage bass work and a cheeky little melody which sounds as catchy it is club destructive. After this very convincing start, the album moves to darker territories on the haunting You Are Not Alone, and the extremely powerful drum-fueled Syncrom. It goes on and on from there with beefy cuts such as the playful Kippschwinger, the Kanye-West-turns-house-esque I Just Wanna Rock You, and Boadicea with Roisin on vox (you can't go wrong when Roisin's in the house can you...). Any downfalls too? Not all tracks carry the same funk as the album highlights, but we have yet to encounter the first album with only bullseye tracks. Corrected with Sam Sparro is a bit too noisy for our taste, but still worth a listen. But other than that, you're in for a very nice surprise when you hit that play button... Our verdict: It's funky, it's Italo (can't get enough of that. Never.), it's disco, it's poppy, but first and foremost it's very, very credible. All tunes on this album carry a very melodic pop/dance twist without getting cheesy, and that alone is a big accomplishment. Mason surpasses all expectations by delivering a fresh LP that can easily be called a huge step ahead in the crossover genre. Stand out tracks: Runaway, Syncrom, Kippschwinger Weak moments: Corrected (featuring DMC & Sam Sparro) Rating: 8.6/10 Label: Animal Language Release date: Out now (Beatport release: April 4th, 2011) Tracklist: 1. Runaway 2. You Are Not Alone 3. Choices (featuring Kurtis Blow) 4. Syncrom 5. Little Angel (featuring Aqualung) 6. Kippschwinger 7. I Just Wanna Rock (featuring Sway) 8. Boadicea (featuring Roisin Murphy) 9. As The World Turns 10. Corrected (featuring DMC & Sam Sparro) 11. Little Red Petticoat 12. Who Killed Trance
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