Sleight of Hands
'Sometimes'
[Smoke N' Mirrors]
It's now officially spring, which means we're that much closer to summer, and to get us ready for all those outdoor festivities, Sleight of Hands has released an EP that is two parts sunshine, and two parts deep house funk. It's a winning combo if I've ever heard of one, and maybe it's just my own personal desire to get the winter weather behind us, but this three track offering couldn't have come at a more appropriate time. First on the line-up is "Sometimes" and it's the perfect way to get both the tone of the project set, and the listener in the right mood. It sounds like your standard house composition, but the vocals add a unique bent, and the whole vibe is perfect for kicking back and enjoying the synth keys as they roll past your ears.
The Psychemagik Remix of "Sometimes" does everything a good remix should, and stays well away from the safe and boring interpretations a lot of other producers stick to to make sure they don't alienate anybody. Don't be mistaken, this isn't your average dance-pop rework. The way it's structured lends to a much harder hitting song, and the smooth bass lines in the original gave been transformed into something much more imposing. It grabs your attention from the start, and when it really hits its stride mid-run time you are already completely encased in the beat.
"Seal The Deal" brings everything back down to a more metered pace, but don't for a second think Sleight of Hands is going to let Psychemagik show them up. Where "Sometimes" was more reserved, "Seal The Deal" opens up, and the muted, fuzzed out, bass lines that contrast perfectly with the crisp vocals keep everything as big as possible. This lyrics are sung with a certain amount of soul and jazz influence woven in, and Sleight of Hands exploits that to the fullest, crafting a sound that works around that style while still riffing off the funky sound clips that make this so fun to listen to. Truth be told, this probably shouldn't just be labeled as "summer music" (it's far too versatile to be limited to one season) but if this EP doesn't make it into your summer set or playlist, then you should probably be reevaluating your taste in music.