Soul and gospel have always belonged to house. Some producers tend to hide these influences behind highly artificial electronics, others don’t feel the need for camouflage. Seven Davis Jr. belongs to the second category, and the rumbling rootedness of his approach (in which even a prince-cover fits just fine) has bestowed him with a lot of friends since he began making music two years ago. Hence, his debut »Universes« was inevitably tied to high expectations, considering that most people expected the record to become a classic straight away. The fact that he »only« came up with a good album is probably due to his somewhat easy-going approach, in which he tries out different moods in order to ground them with a refreshing and unique groove. »Sunday Morning«, for instance, is an anthem with an immediate effect, circling around a loop consisting of Seven Davis Jr.’s vocals: »Bet you never had a love like this before«, as he seductively whispers to the anonymous object of his affection, while the funky bass-riff and the sloppy beat create an interaction that instantly turns into a euphoricum. »No Worries« knows how to score with shirtsleeved swing, almost coming across like an actual song. »Fighters«, a gloomily boiling soul-track, was made less for the dancefloor and more for deep thoughts, escaping potential cliches through its simplification. Not all of his attempts are that successful, but instead of complaining about not having created a thorough triumph, one could just as well welcome the explorer’s freshness: despite the fix format of an actual album, the artist does not restrain himself to conformity.
Universes
