A highlight of Crazy P’s recent studio album When We On, ‘Heartbreaker’ is feel-good pop, barely veiled in a cloak of sleekly arranged electronics. Danielle Moore’s vocal work is so deliciously soulful it would be tempting to let her voice take centre stage. But, unlike the prevalent clamour of modern pop, ‘Heartbreaker’ benefits from an exercise in restraint: the vocal is used sparingly, delivered in tangent with the jolty rhythm and snappy percussion. The result is something all the more touching; despite an overly polished production, those rising strings and warm chords conjure up a misty-eyed sentiment.
For those who can’t stand the sickly charm of the thing – yes, you with a heart of stone – the remix package turns the single on its head.
Mark E is one of the most talented producers around. Gone are the days where manipulation of vocals were his mainstay; here he works a slow and brooding techno groove, the original barely recognisable. The track’s progression is painstaking but deliberate, moving forward with stark, industrial minimalism.
Huxley goes in with what he does best: a bombardment of sweaty, hard-hitting 90’s house beats squared unequivocally at the floor. It’ll do the trick, but still suffers from sounding a bit too by the book.
A great package then. But, really, nothing can steal from the irresistible charm of the original.
20:20 Vision Recordings | January
