
Album tracks ‘Real’ and ‘Ready For Your Love’ had already ripped through the British charts, spent months causing mayhem in clubs and been remixed more times than Renee Zellwegger’s face.
The early couple of tunes gave listeners an excellent example of what was to come on Sirens, the new record, showcasing the original house vibes of the duo with a couple of tunes driven by soft vocals and bassline soft enough not to overpower, but emphatic enough to make you take note.
Third single 'Here For You' stuck to this mantra, building with a quiet, addictive melody before unleashing a big fat bassline that doesn’t rush and doesn’t overwhelm, but does give you reason to take to the dance floor and lose your freakin' shit.
That’s effectively what is found throughout Sirens – it’s an album where every track has a beautifully inventive and unique melody, more creative than the chart house template cluttering the scene and more accessible than much of the stuff at the core of EDM. It’s not just a bass-driven rave-bound tracklist, it’s an album that lends itself to casual listening and chill-out sessions too.
‘Coming Home’ is the wonderful opening track featuring Maverick Sabre. Piano mixes with a basic beat and gentle vocals sing lyrics much more effective than the usual trance nonsense. A slight but subdued step up at the chorus brings an addictive edge to the chilled out house beat.
Mav Sabre returns to close the album as well with ‘Hard on Me’, a vocal-focused number where the production team take a back seat. Less is more is the order of the day with Gorgon City, and it’s fantastically refreshing.
‘Lover Like You’ sees Katy B take to the microphone and play over a beautifully fresh rhythm, and ‘FTPA’ again sees the duo produce with a perfect vocalist for the job – Erik Hassle on this occasion. The songs show that pounding bass and screaming lyrics and often better replaced with the soft and the sensual.
"Zak Abel feature ‘Unmissable’ may be the most anthemic track on the new release. A slow start and a hook perfect for summer time sing-a-longs meet a soft bassline which frames it perfectly"
There are more than enough awesome singles on the record though. Zak Abel feature ‘Unmissable’ may be the most anthemic track on the new release. It combines a slow start and a hook perfect for summer time sing-a-longs with a bassline-meets-synth backing which frames it perfectly.
Tish Hyman comes in for ‘6AM’, another great feature which, while not as lyric-based as others, brings a deliciously fun backing beat to the table. This is the kind of thing that will have you reaching for Shazam and shuffling like there’s no tomorrow when it drops in the middle of a DJ set.
Soft-flowing soundings and lyrical substance from Gorgon City on their debut album then, and overall simply a record which doesn't disappoint despite grand expectations.
We’re looking forward to seeing what further singles come from Sirens, and there’s bound to be a bunch of cool remixes that come out of this too. Near producing perfection from the London artists.
Stuart Kenny