Maybe it's the fact that he plays all of his own instruments rather than just spinning and beat-matching the work of others, but
Chuck Love brings something very unusual to the house music scene: a sense of the song rather than just a sense of the groove. On this two-disc set he showcases both his original compositions (on the really stellar first disc) and a full DJ set of remixes of work by such eminent colleagues as Ricardo Rae,
Andy Caldwell,
White Lotus Society and the always impressive
Colette. The DJ disc is a solid achievement without being anything particularly groundbreaking or exceptional, but the first disc is a real treat.
Love's work with his Minneapolis friend
Fourfeet is especially good -- the surprisingly funky and breakbeat-laden "Never Forget" and the more mainstream house-oriented "Back in My Life" are both top-notch songs. But "Bailando," a Latin house workout featuring
Estaire Godinez, and "Long Way Down" are also minor gems. Things do bog down just a little bit near the middle, with the tedious "Beatdown" (a song built almost entirely of clubland clichés and catch phrases) offering the low point. But everything else is so good that it's easy to forgive the occasional soft spot. Highly recommended.