I'm going to be Very 'Sincere' Here... (Sincere - MJ Cole)

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Product:	Sincere - MJ Cole
Date:	07/05/01 (9 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: My Album of the Year

Disadvantages: Non it's Sublime

Skilful, smooth, soulful sounds, electronica and synthesised strings blend with rough, cut-up two-step beats. Luxurious, sexy female vocals alternate with rudeboy MCing. The classically-trained garage pioneer MJ Cole's long-awaited debut album is finally here, and displays a lush sound that he will doubtless be able to explore for a long time. It blends classy instrumentation and upmarket production with an underground sound, and when it's good, it's very, very good. While garage has its roots in a true underground culture, it's a genre which embraces mainstream crossover, slick production and smooth-as-a-brand-new-BMW tunes more than many others; you're unlikely to hear many accusations Cole is 'selling out', despite the classy sleeve and Mercury Music Prize nomination. However, there are parts of this album where the listening becomes too easy, and the glossy, dreamy instrumentation sounds like wallpaper music or the incidental sections of a film soundtrack. Other tracks, like the title track, 'Bandelero Desperado' and 'You're Mine' are just stunning. Garage is the sound of summer 2000, whether you like it or not, and 'Sincere' is already one of the most important albums of the year.

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