Yes, there are threads of brightly coloured retro-pop and grooves that come straight out of the heyday of funk and disco, but there is also a totally modern dance vibe, slick modernity runs through its veins and it is as sparky and cutting edge as any electro-dance or pop infused R&b being made today. If disco was being invented today rather than in the mid-seventies it would sound like this, displaying all the carefree musical abandon of those heady and hedonistic days but also dressed in the sleek and sassy musical trappings of todays studio technology and production.
But that is just technical talk, music is made to be enjoyed by the listener, not pawed over my the acoustic tech-heads and this is music that is full of fun and frivolity…in the best meaning of the word. It sparkles with confidence, flashes with groovesome fun, struts its stuff and generally gets the party started, be it the up-town club, the drive to the beach or the poolside party.
Solid beats, a slow burning intro and a strong verse build the anticipation before a truly monumental chorus delivers everything you want from a pop record. It is big, bombastic, infectious and memorable. If you can’t sing the chorus of a pop record by the second time you hear it then it is not doing its job. In the case of Mean Machine I’ll be surprised if it takes you that long.