Part-time Heroes - Realise EP

With Katie Melua et al masquerading uninteresting lounge music as Jazz, the textured off-beat melodies of this EP will undoubtedly have the Part-Time Heroes proclaimed the new Duke Ellington(s) within a month. Renowned for their remixes under the alias of "PTH projects", these two producers have chucked out an enjoyable four-track EP which flashes with moments of inspiration, but never actually catches flame. Instrumental Brandon Heights is excellently constructed, its flute and brass trills echoing the catchiness of St. Germain, albeit without the energy and density that made Tourist so popular. Sadly, the other three tracks on here boast big but banal names and as pleasant as Jono McCleery's voice is, it is exactly that; pleasant.
There's quality in there, but it's cabaret, background music, a safe and unrevealing journey. Plus, they shamelessly purloin from Cinematic Orchestra, with All This Time sounding suspiciously like a condensed rehash of All Things, but with a mediocre female vocalist instead of Rodney P. No contest really, is it? [Liam Arnold]