Review Summary: Twinkling lights and unmatched vibes
Just to preface, if you’re here for a treatise on acid house’s history, and how this album was ahead of its time, or whether or not it deserves to be on the
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die list, you’re in the wrong place. Which is odd, since my reviews usually tend to focus on genre scope or historical context. But when listening to a genre I’m unfamiliar with, I become just a guy who’s here to vibe out to some beats and enjoy life.
To that extent, 808 State’s sophomore album,
Ninety, achieves that goal incredibly well. Right from the jump, you’re greeted with twinkling synths and a hell of a groovy baseline, backed up by some great breakbeat drums. 808 State excel at this, this strange beautiful art of transporting listeners to acid-washed, neon-lit, 80s paradises.
The vibe established in opener “Magical Dream” remains consistent throughout pretty much the entire album’s runtime, but
Ninety, mercifully, doesn’t allow itself to remain stagnant, only using the same one trick or sound throughout the whole album. The drums, bass, and synth all underline each track, but there are moments that help each track stand out from their brethren, like the funk-tinged “Ancodia”, complete with a speak-and-spell voice spelling out “love”, or the tropical opening to “Pacific 202”, which segues into a gorgeous saxophone-led dance track.
That being said, while the vibes are undoubtedly present (and unmatched, I’ve not heard another album that made me feel as chill and relaxed as this one), there are a few sticking points that prevent me from loving this album as much as I want to. “Magical Dream”’s momentum is crushed by awkward spoken-word vocals from Vanessa Daou, which sound out of place and actually detract from the rest of the song.
It's also worth noting that the songs here all feel longer than they need to be, by at least a minute. With the exception of “Pacific 202” at the front half, and the enigmatic “808080808”, a good majority of the songs feel like they’ve played all of their cards by the halfway point, and their latter halves become more of an exercise in wheel spinning than anything else. “Sunrise” especially felt a little too long for its own good, despite being a wonderfully chill song.
Despite these gripes, I loved
Ninety far more than I initially expected to, and I can’t say I’ve ever heard any album like it before. There is no better way to transport yourself to a time long past, just pop this album on, and let yourself float away on the neon for 40-ish minutes.
