A Delight indeed is a downtempo, dub, and electronica album with bits of lounge, jazz, and Latin added to the blend. Ska-cha, an unusual word used to describe this album elsewhere, also fits these twelve eclectically influenced tracks. Don Air is three Germans who met in the late nineties in south London, and just as they released Carpenters' Delight in 2000, their label folded. Freshly Squeezed Music has picked it up and released it.

1. Bye Bye
2. Joy Dub
3. Desert Dancer
4. No Name Dub
5. Stompers Dub
6. Chico's Cha Cha
7. Do It Again
8. Siesta
9. There'll Be Soul
10. Kiss Me
11. Please Baby
12. Dona De Fisa

On some of the tracks the rhythms are a little too repetitive, as on "Joy Dub," where a single "ah" runs over and over a never changing beat, however, there are many quirky delights to be found here. "Desert Dancer" begins with a cowboy singer accompanied by the sound of scratchy vinyl. "No Name Dub" combines nu-jazz and exotica with Jamaican dub vocals. "Stompers Dub" features an old time banjo tune. And then there are songs like "Siesta," which lopes around good naturedly. "Chico's Cha Cha" and "Please Baby," deliver two crazy takes on cha cha.

There is a lot of goofy imagination here, enough to make it delightful to everyone, not just carpenters. If you enjoy this sound as much as your vinyl collection, don't sleep on it, Carpenters' Delight will be available not only as a download, but it will also have a limited pressing on double vinyl. If you don't care so much about vinyl, check out the really nice mix of Joy Dub that's up on Don Air's Myspace page right now. It adds exactly what that song needs. That mix is only available with the download version of the album.

~ Dave Howell


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Limited edition available on double 12" vinyl
Originally released on Response Records on Jan. 25, 2000

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