There is something great sitting at the musical heart of Reborn, a clash of old school balladry from a bygone age against the gentle dance groove of the here and now. Even the video suggests that there is something of the 50’s crooner about D47, but unlike those horrible hybrids where producers try to take those icons of the past and try (and fail) to turn them into something relevant to the modern audience, Reborn walks between those two musical worlds effortlessly. Here the timeless and sensual tones and the confidence of a more refined time are given the perfect subtle and subdued platform to sit on, beats that do just enough to turn the song into an early hours dance floor, wind down classic, a soft and soothing night time soundtrack, understated and all the better for the space that it allows itself.
No More Tears shows a slightly more contemporary direction, it still uses the same mix of restraint and gentleness, of soft sonic touches and space but this time the vibe is much more cutting edge. Someone once said “the past is another country, they do things differently there” but D47 shows us that, musically speaking at least, not that much has changed really, not if you know where to look at least. And it is this blend of timeless vocals and modern pop attitudes, of cutting edge musicality that echoes past greats whilst blazing its own way into a bright new future that is really going to appeal to everyone from the young and fashion conscious pop picker, the cool, dance floor aficionado and the more mature listener alike. How clever is that?
