Roland Appel - Talk To Your Angel
Talk To Your Angel is the impressive end product of Roland Appel’s efforts since he struck out on his own
Previously recording with others as Fauna Flash, Rainer Truby Trio and Voom:Voom; Talk To Your Angel is the impressive end product of Roland Appel’s efforts since he struck out on his own.
Launching his solo career with a bang courtesy of last year’s deep house epic Dark Soldier (a track supported by the likes of Laurent Garnier, Pete Tong and Gilles Peterson and included here), the album’s focus remains in house territory but adds elements of techno and disco; Araba Walton’s distinctive vocals (bringing to mind both former St Etienne singer Sarah Cracknell and Annie Lennox) giving Appel’s elegant, soundtrack-inspired compositions a real stand-out quality.
Wide-screen atmospherics blend with hypnotic arrangements on Secrets, Changes and New Love, while Lost Valley sees rolling drums meet an undulating melody atop gothic-sounding synths. String-filled builder Unforgiven is another highlight, its tension-filled breakdowns giving it a definite, anthemic feel. [Colin Chapman]