David Guetta: One Love
David Guetta: One Love
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By James Christie
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Saturday, 05, Sep 2009 11:09
Virgin, out now.
In a nutshell...
Catchy, fun, fusion, dance, chart
What's it all about?
Sixteen tracks of hip-hop and pop infused club tracks
Who's it by?
David Guetta began his musical life at the delicate age of 13 when he started mixing vinyls at home, but by the end of his teens he had already progressed to sets in the Paris nightclubs. His love of live sets encouraged him to organise dance parties around the world - the F**k me I'm Famous nights organised by Guetta and his wife Cathy, are of particular note.
His previous releases include the album Pop Life from which the single Love Don't Let me Go is still doing the circuits. One Love contains recognisable traits from this earlier work, but overall this new album has a much lighter tone.
As an example...
"I wanna go crazy!"
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Pretty unlikely to be a smash hit with critics. But not to worry, One Love is most likely to be kept where it belongs: in the clubs and on the beaches where it will be turned up and given much love.
What the others say
"...it feels like a series of tracks rather than a fully realised long-player." - Caroline Sullivan, Guardian
"Guetta's pumping, chart-friendly house music is, like the man himself, shamelessly populist." - Joe Clay, Times
So is it any good?
Sensibly, the album kicks into gear with number one hit When Love Takes Over as Kelly Rowland's soaring powerful voice captivates attentions from the very off. The song is wonderfully assembled; smooth rich vocals blend seamlessly with a strong and catchy rhythm underneath. No matter how many listens, somehow this song does not irritate.
Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the rest of the tracks. Yes there are fun catchy pop tunes on here, but after a couple of listens you feel as if you have gleaned all there is on offer. The main problem for my ears is that whilst Guetta's dance beats remain original at every turn, the rap vocals which sit on top have been heard one too many times. There is nothing wrong with them in themselves, and perhaps pop music should remain light-hearted and unchallenging, but when the electro from the title artist is still so strong, it seems a shame to ally it with such trite hooks as "damn you's a sexy chick".
There are a couple of tracks that deserve more than one listen. Memories featuring Kid Cudi is great for what it is. The lyrics slip neatly around a simple catch and there is a satisfying natural progression from just Guetta's piano notes to a full electro beat right back down to a dirty single bass line that you just know will sound great in the clubs... although the panpipes could get annoying.
It's the Way You Love Me, the second track to feature Kelly Rowland, is also well worth a mention. Rowland's voice is toned down here but her melodies compliment perfectly the minimal backing beat; it's just easy to like and, with the unexpected timing, slightly hypnotic.
But that, I'm afraid, is it. As other reviews have mentioned, it just doesn't hang well together as an album. There's too much gap-filling bumph that, after a few listens, unfortunately starts to blot out the few powerful club gems that Guetta has slipped in.
6/10
Eleanor Ward