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Album Thu Sep 06 2007
Album Review: Push by Colette
DJ Colette’s new album, Push is highly versatile—good for headphones and the dance floor alike. Particularly dance inspiring is "Funny feat. Black Spade" and "Think You Want It." This is from the same woman who helped found the SuperJane collective, a group of female DJs devoted to helping women succeed in the music business. Colette was also one of the first DJs to lay her own vocals on the tracks she mixed. Uncompromising and undaunted, Colette brings the same experimental approach to Push, on which she pushes the boundaries of house music to reverberate with her own passionate style.
Like her previous album, (Hypnotized, 2005), Push explores the ups and downs of relationships and love. The album’s first track, “About Us,” details a relationship that has seen better days. She reintroduces the track at No. 11, this time mixed up by Chuck Love into a more danceable, and thus catchier tune. “Feelin’ Hypnotized” wound up on the The Devil Wears Prada soundtrack, and in similar fashion, “About Us (Chuck Love rework)” borders on pop and could easily be adapted in the mainstream market. That’s part of Colette’s strength—bringing house to the masses.
The most striking difference between the two albums is that the artist has moved from electronica (Hypnotized) to dance (Push). With its hypnotic beats and slickly arranged keyboards, Hypnotized got you listening. Push, on the other hand, gets straight down to business—sophisticated grooves and hooks push you out on the dance floor.
The first half of the album is mellow, earthy, and sensual, Colette’s finely tuned mezzo-soprano voice a complementary instrument to the blend of laidback and uplifting deep house. In the second half the artist kicks it up a notch by falling deeper into dance music. Each track blends seamlessly into the next, resulting in a lush compilation of tracks that makes for enjoyable listening, from start to finish.
Colette performs at Metro and Smartbar on Saturday. Tickets for both venues are $21. $10 for Smartbar only. Show starts at 10pm.
