(Sony)
Madison Avenue are swimming against the tide. They're trying to export dance music from Down Under to the Northern Hemisphere. It's a tough task but the quirky Australian duo are making a good fist of it. After the single Don't Call Me Baby became a No 1 hit in the UK and topped club playlists in the US, their follow-up, Who The Hell Are You, made a similar impression. Both were crossover successes which had radio and club DJs alike in raptures.
Compiling an album is a riskier proposition than a couple of dance hits, yet well-known Melbourne DJ Andy Van and former dancer Cheyne Coates have produced a respectable, if not astounding, debut album. Van, who has remixed the likes of Fatboy Slim, brings an underground credence to the album's more poppy moments, while singer Coates demonstrates an impressive vocal range. She switches from mellow Tracey Thorn-style on the album's softer moments, such as It's Very Alright, to the powerful girl-power vocals on both singles, of which there are remixes thrown in.
The highlight, though, is Jay Wylie's credible impersonation of Barry White's hushed tones on the soulful This Is Your Introduction. Inspired.
