Dutch is a trip-hop duo. The duo is comprised of Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind (Jedi Mind Tricks) and Liz Fullerton who have collaborated on two separate occasions before this record for a JMT track. This is the duo's first full-length and is the labor of three years of love.
Starting the record is a short intro dialogue that sets the tone for the more moody vibe that this album contains. Just Before The Rain enters with a punchy beat as Fullerton's sultry vocals enter and just move through your body. The duo have cited artists like Portishead, Cat Power, and Aimee Mann as influences, and they are certainly comparable within these songs.
Stoupe's style of beats and melodies on this album really do help make this album sound so much more seductive than it could have been. The beats, as said, are punchy and dynamic, yet subtle and quick, fitting with the melodies which all have a very haunting and dark mystique to them, while they all seem to contain an almost jazz/lounge feeling to them. Tracks like Woman Like The Wind and Charlotte seem to have the mood of a jazz club rather than a dance club, which does make this a bit more of a personal record and not something you turn on when you have friends over.
Fullerton's voice is very laid-back, recalling the lounge singers of the 40s and 50s. Her crooning on this album really is able to paint a picture for each track in your head of whatever the topic may be, California Cloaked In Wool is a good example of this, and you are able to just let whatever the story unfold. Her voice mixed with the darker music behind her just make this into a very sexy sounding record fitting for a night in front of the fire with your gal, or whatever.
Overall, this is a very good record filled with great songs that are just fun and laid-back. Definitely a record that has a ton of replay power and is worthy of at least a few spins. If you like trip-hop or dark records with a bit of the lounge or jazz feeling to them, this is something you should consider checking out.
Overall Score: 8.5
Highlights: Just Before The Rain, Woman Like The Wind, Cerulean
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