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Various Artists

Bargrooves Citrus

(Seamless; US: 19 Sep 2006; UK: 31 Jul 2006)

Just in time for autumn—an album that’s meant to capture the sweet, bright sound of summer. The “Citrus” entry in Seamless’ Bargrooves series doesn’t deviate much from the template. That’s good news for those who favor continuously-mixed, jazzy (as in “nu-jazz”), upbeat house music with the occasional dash of UK garage. Label head Ben Sowton’s disc is so peppy and smooth, it may be more grapefruit than orange for some listeners, if you know what I mean. Guest DJ Matthias Heilbronn’s disc is sharper, leaner, and meaner, starting off with slow-building, electro-fied sounds before it too gets extra-friendly. But the truly groovy, Philly soul-style suite at the end is where the real juice is at.

Rating:

John Bergstrom has been writing various reviews and features for PopMatters since 2004. He has been a music fanatic at least since he and a couple friends put together The Rock Group Dictionary in third grade (although he now admits that giving Pat Benatar the title of "first good female rocker" was probably a mistake). He has done freelance writing for Trouser Pressonline, Milwaukee's Shepherd Express, and the late Milk magazine and website. He currently resides in Madison, Wisconsin with his wife and two kids, both of whom are very good dancers.


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