One really negative thing I can say about this debut from Manitoba isthat it sounds like so many other artists I've already heard. Sure,it's catchy. It's toe-tapping, energetic and pulsating. But it was allthese things the first time I heard [insert electronic/remixer/DJartist here] do it. There are moments here that remind me of Tortoise,Daft Punk, Moby, Mark Isham, Bob James, Phil Collins (ack!) and more.That they're all together on the same record isn't a bad thing (exceptfor Phil Collins), but it also takes the originality out of theexperience. If I was in a coffee bar and heard this music on thespeakers, I wouldn't complain. Nor would I rush over and ask who itwas. It's that ineffectual to me. The album has it's moments, however.I really like moments of "Paul's Birthday," and "Mammals vs Reptiles"is mildly intriguing. The major difficulty is that the music neverreally seems to engage the listener. I felt very little while listeningto this release. In fact, "Start Breaking My Heart" seems to go out ofits way to distance you. The constant big beat wonderness and cut andsplice "magic" is lost on me, and most of the songs would TOTALLY WORKWITHOUT IT. It feels like the work of an artist who started out tryingto impress rather than develop a unique sound. I'm sure Manitoba wouldbe a great remixer. But with original material, I'm just left wantingmore. More originality, more substance, and more cohesiveness. So muchof it just feels thrown together. I'd file this one under "BuyerBeware": worth a listen, but try before you buy.
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