Azari & III – Azari & III

First things first, it’s impossible not to notice, and perhaps even giggle slightly, at the cover art for this album. And indeed it makes for a great tongue in cheek contrast to the tone of the music contained within, which is that of illicit liaisons and reckless romantic abandon. Azari & III would soundtrack the kind of things you won’t be discussing in the office.

Aside from the feeling of the music, Azari & III make tracks that give an overwhelming sense of being ‘back to the old school’, and for real. ‘Into The Night’ wastes no time letting us know that this is straight up house, complete with vaguely cliched lyrics about ‘getting it on’. Written down, this might not sound that appealing, but it works. Azari & III’s pulsey backing house track is perfectly complemented by the dulcet tones of Cedric Gasaida, whose vocals make appearances at various points in the album.

‘Recklesss With Your Love’ is the absolute standout track on this album, and I’m convinced it’s one of my favourite songs of the year. It’s a 90s throwback executed with perfect contemporary skill. Despite its lighthearted sound, it has a darker, more sinister undercurrent – one of hedonistic love gone wrong. This is the second track, and in some way it feels like this forces the album to peak early. None of the other songs are comparable to this, and once you’ve heard ‘Reckless’, it’s easy to feel slightly disappointed with what follows. Having your ear caressed for two whole tracks with Cedric Gasaida’s voice makes it hard to sit through the instrumental ‘Tunnel Vision’, consequently feeling like it was intended as accompaniment for Gasaida. Without his singing propelling ‘Tunnel Vision’ forward, it feels a little flat.

The sense of tension in this album never quite goes away, and as the songs progress it becomes more apparent. ‘Indigo’ is relentlessly dark, complemented only by a few swoopy vocals, and ‘Change of Heart’ follows a similar vein, with sparse female singing adding to its sinister nature. ‘Change of Heart’ also sees Azari adopt a more aggressive, pulse focused sound, and one which continues into the relentless ‘Manhooker’, again, complete with ghostly female vocals. Although the album never quite lives up to the heights of ‘Reckless With Your Love’, closing track ‘Manic’ comes close. It takes the persistent dark undercurrent and really runs with it. Gasaida sings, “Desire in her eyes tells me that she wants me / but then I realise she’s so schizophrenic”. In Azari & III’s world, love is seedy, at its best, and that’s how it should be.