Allie: Living In A Whisper
Koch

It's probably no secret that more music arrives at textura central than can possibly be covered but it's all given at least a listen or two before cuts are made. With its hopelessly cheesy cover shot, Allie's Living in a Whisper EP practically begged to be put into the ‘regrets' pile but damned if the thing didn't render my critical faculties helpless after a day or two. Shamelessly populist electro-pop by singer Allison Kentrick and producers Anton Bass and Mike Rizzo it might be, but it's also aural crack. Don't laugh: your defenses would collapse too once exposed to the cut's blissful house beats and soaring vocals. The real rush, however, comes from the sweeping melodies and the chorus's heavenly vocal counterpoint (credit Kentrick and Jessica Collasante for that). Seven variations might try the patience of even the most indulgent listener but beyond the four chugging mixes the EP includes two urgent club versions (Rizzo's guitar-heavy “M2 Club Mix” and a funkyy “Fonseca Dub”) and an affecting ‘Candlelight' treatment by Josh Harris that couches Allie's heartfelt plaint in an elegant piano-and-strings arrangement. Winsome melancholy never sounded so glorious.

September 2006