Apparently this Maxwell Implosion guy is a hot commodity. He's got a decent resume of DJ-ing for the Cardigans, and has shared the stage with the likes of Dimitri from Paris and the Brand New Heavies. Now Maxwell has embarked on a solo voyage with his debut,
Small Circle of Friends.
The album is described as "the perfect backdrop for the cultured dance floor or a late night of cocktails at home," and while this is true,
Small Circle of Friends is little more than background lounge music. With a cool sampling of bossa nova and jazz, the tracks are nice and laidback but ultimately uneventful.
Effective attributes heard on this album include the smooth instrumentation, such as the funky bass in "The Upper Lefthand Corner of the Sky" and the keys heard in "From Mousy to Marvelous." They all sound good in a passively subtle way - which can describe
Small Circle of Friends as a whole, but it is not enough to make the album standout.
The record is cohesive in that all the tracks fit well - a product of solid mixing and lack of a distict quality track. If listening to this album while drinking cocktails, make it a double, this
Small Circle of Friends needs a little more life breathed into it.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: "Treat Her Groovy", "The Upper Lefthand Corner of the Sky", "From Mousy to Marvelous"
- Andrea Chiu, CHRW Radio, London, ON
By Andrea Chiu
Jun 6, 2002