Music Review: Wynter Gordon - With The Music I Die
So you're saying that you've not heard this dance diva? She has dominated the airwaves since the release of her solo debut album Dirty Talk which hit number one on both the Australian ARIA charts and the US Dance charts.
Gordon has also worked with dance mastermind David Guetta on his album One More Love on the track Toyfriend. Not to mention her rise to fame started with writing the title track for Mary J. Blige's 2005 album, The Breakthrough. She's also had a hand in writing no less than four of the tracks on Jennifer Lopez's latest album Love. Gordon also worked with other dance heavy weights The Freemason's on the non-album track Believer. Adding to her credits is her track Putting It Out There which was the theme for Sydney's 2011 Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Not only is this woman an amazing talent at writing outstanding songs, she can also belt out a track. With slick production and catchy lyrics, there is no way that Gordon's debut artist album isn't going to be something that classics are made of.
Opening the album is the title track With The Music I Die. It's catchy, it's got a good beat. It's also not the strong album opener that one would expect. It's a not a bad track, don't be mistaken. It's just not the great track that an album should open with. Gordon's vocals sound shaky and like she is competing with the music when she really shouldn't have to.
Thankfully, here to save the album is Dirty Talk. This Australian three time platinum selling album reminds us why Gordon is in the industry. The catchy lyrics and easy beats are made for your pleasure. With seductive lyrics that put Rhianna's S&M track to shame, it's not hard to realise why this song took the world by storm.
Continuing the mission the get you dancing is Don't Stop Me. It's got a catchy riff that will get stuck in your head and a beat that bounces amiably along and is perfect if you're one of those people who like dance music before heading out. Gordon's vocal recovery is strong and confident. The music is just as powerful but, thankfully, doesn't threaten to overwhelm Gordon's singing.
The tracks Buy My Love and Still Getting Younger are both happy and playful. They prove that Gordon has set a new level and standard for all future dance diva's to live up. Her talent shines through with her dynamic and, at times, almost ethereal voice.
The track Rumba features Kevin McCall and is catchy like you wouldn't believe. It's certainly one of the reasons that even if you don't want to buy the album, you should listen to it. Fusing together dance music and Spanish guitar playing, the track is such a side step into something new, that it can't be described properly. It's a grabbing track that you want to hear.
Dance maestro Robbie Rivera also pops up on the album. He works with Gordon on the track In The Morning. It's as close to a ballad as you're going to go on this album. The rolling music that comes in waves from ambience towards up tempo and then back down to ambient is all very signature from Rivera and suits Gordon's voice perfectly. It's a track that's designed for a Sunday morning recovery after a big Saturday night out.
Gordon closes the album down with Renegade which features Static Revenger. It's, again, quite a side step from the general sound of the rest of the album. It's very heavily electronic with the beats and basic melody. It's quite an addictive song with the way it deviates from Gordon's standard formula. It's catchy all the same, so don't worry. Just be ready to have a bump and grind dance time.
Despite the shaky opening, the album is quite strong in it's production and delivery. One slightly questionable track out of twelve is pretty good stats by anyone's imagination. this is certainly not a 'one listen only' album. The more times you listen to it, the more times you hear something different which you hadn't picked up on before. She's our new dance diva and definitely has something to share.
With The Music I Die is out now
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