Short and sweet from Ronson
Mark Ronson is best known for producing other people's albums and his impeccable dress sense, but Record Collection is in fact his third studio album. Accompanied by his band 'The Business Intl' and a who's who of hipsters, from Ghostface Killah and Q-Tip to Boy George and D'Angelo, Ronson pays tribute to 1980s synth in a short album of 14 tracks.
Opener Bang Bang Bang is a laidback, summery tune which sets the tone for what's to come - pulsing beats you can't help but bounce along to.
Ronson sings lead vocals on only two tracks, which is no bad thing. His voice is thin and unremarkable, which works on multi-layered dance music, but a whole album would be too much.
The Bike Song has a 60s-tinged melody, bike bells and contemporary pop drums over the 80s synths, an unexpectedly entertaining combination.
The piano-led intro to Somebody to Love Me suggests a ballad, but the synthesised steel drums and tribal beats soon come in, conjuring up images of capoeira and beach parties.
On Glass Mountain Trust, the usually silky-voiced D'Angelo emulates Cee-Lo Green's squawk, singing seemingly random notes over equally random keys - yet it somehow works.
If you're not sick of the 80s resurgence, you could do worse than spend an hour with Ronson.
