Calling on the spirits of David Bowie, Talking Heads and even Duran Duran, Ed Laliq muses and twitches his vocals over electro meets retro. The production style keeps the beats and claps modern and adds in bleeps and squiggles to further the throw-back vocal melodies and is reminiscent of The Neptunes or Timbaland. Witness this in "Say Hey (USA)" or "Hold On Me (Your Kiss)". Electro funk shows up in "Drowning" with elbow-moving delight.

1. Drowning
2. No Panic
3. Say Hey (U.S.A.)
4. Wide Eyed Swan
5. China Rising
6. Pieces
7. Roo Mar
8. Lost N.Y.C.
9. Hold On Me (Your Kiss)
10. Beu-Tea-Full-Day
11. Waiting
12. A.C.H.

It is nice to hear the attention to detail and craftsmanship included in the album that takes it from retro-reminiscing to future retro. Prime Penny Gaff could easily have been written off as living in the past and tossed aside. But it shouldn't be. Ed hits the mark most of the time and the range of styles included help tremendously to keep the album from re-treading earlier moments or wandering off into monotony.

"Lost N.Y.C" is a great songwriter story on top of an acoustic loop along with nice snare claps. "Beu-tea-full-day" is one of the best tracks with its bouncy cabaret-style bass and horn stabs. "A.C.H" and "China Rising" are straight-up Bowie ala Let's Dance era. "No Panic" is a quiet break with its almost a cappella arrangement and is followed up by a string led work titled "Pieces" that show patience and pacing to keep the beat material from growing old. "Waiting" drops Hawaiian guitar and bopping church organ in an old time 50's sort of way as beats glitch in and out. Quality work for sure.

~ Dedric Moore

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