Search - Inner Shade :: Four Corners

COULD HAVE BEEN GREAT ------- BUT

Steven Meyers | New Jersey | 11/04/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is very frustrating production. This music is Acid Jazz. I would describe this as Disco Jazz. Make no mistake about this, this is Jazz. The drums and percussion are definately Dance Music, Funk, Club Music, The British Dance scene. The improvising is lengthy and good. "Little Sunflower", is a personal favorite of mine and they give it a Dance treatment that is very different and gets an "A" for creativity. The bass is out in front. The presentation of the songs have somewhat the feel of Light Jazz, which I detest, but this is not Light Jazz. It is very spacey in spots and has a very strange aura to it, that I absolutely love. I'll tell you why I took off 2 stars. The first song, "Inner Space", is less than 2 minutes long. A portion, just a little portion of a song that could have been the best cut on the album. Just as they were beginning to do something with it, it's over. I don't get it. Second the guitar; I am not a Mark Whitfield fan, but everyone to his own opinion. I think a more rock styled player would have fit in better here. Then the singing. Get rid of the singing. This type of music has formula type singing. Every singer on these type of discs sounds the same. Like there is only one singer and they always use her. Like a computer is singing. On the songs that have great improvisation, you have to sit there and get through the singer. The fustrating song is "Mood to Mood". Cheesy singing that then goes into a spacey hypnotic, electronic percussion solo that goes on for 4 minutes. It's like there is two songs in one. Cheesy song and just the coolest 4 minutes you will hear on any Jazz album of any genre. The song totally switches direction on a dime. Oh what they could have done with this song, if it were presented differently. Very sad. Could have been great. The song is still so hypnotic, I would still buy this disc just for this song. The other songs that are mostly singing, I just had to program out. So bad. What a shame. They really could have done something with this. Next time, play Jazz of this type without the singing, and these people could produce a masterpiece."

Time For Some Funky Shade!

Vasilius Trokis | San Francisco, CA | 08/31/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Inner Shade's "4 Corners" is a fine collection of eclectic jazz tunes. Each track is distinguished in its unique style, ranging from bossa nova to acid jazz to the fusion of contemporary jazzy-funk. The vocals are smooth and soulful that aren't wailing nor boisterous. The instrumental arrangements are tight and brim, at times, with an international flavor. Inner Shade is very much the equivalent of fellow Brit band Incognito, and its almost difficult to make the blurred distinction between the two well-defined. Regardless, both bands may have a similar style but are enjoyable and worth equal attention. As for Inner Shade's "4 Corners" the album is wonderfully groovy, and I look forward to their future releases."

Why wasn't it more popular?

Henri Edward Dongieux | 04/10/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"These tracks are well-crafted and cutting-edge (for pop) that I find myself constantly wondering why they weren't more popular on the radio and in the magazines. Here we see Incognito on the Rice label moving toward what would eventually become the Para:Diso sound - it's the jazzy original vibe darkened with an extra layer of attitude and sophistication. Dubby, drum n' bass loops, buzzing digital synth effects, and other super-modern elements add a dramatic, even cinematic flair to some of the tracks, and all of the tracks come out of solid songwriting that already simply burns with a classic and creative RnB sensibility. "Mood to mood" is a favorite track - starting out as a sentimental, almost holiday-sounding vocal track that metamorphoses into a buzzing breakbeat outro. All I can guess is that for 1998, Inner Shade was too far ahead of the curve for most listeners."