Brite Lites / Big City

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While it doesn't overflow with high points like Fired Up 'N' Kickin', Brite Lites, Big City remains a solid album's worth of funky disco. The hooks aren't as instantly catchy as the ones that propelled past hits like "Spanish Hustle" or "I Like Girls," but songs like "Freak the Freak the Funk (Rock)" sport nice big grooves that will keep the listener's toes tapping. The album's big highlights are "Big City," a tribute to New York driven by a surprisingly jazzy horn riff, and "Let Me Do It to You," a percolating funk showcase that cleverly pits male and female vocal sections against each other as it doubles its thumping bassline with the chant mentioned in the title. "Wild Dreams" is another highlight, an interesting tune that contrasts mellow female harmonies against an insistent beat churned out by the rhythm section. Some of the tunes get a bit repetitive at times, most notably "Hesitation" and its reliance on an endlessly-reiterated chant, but the band's performance is strong enough throughout the album to overshadow these moments of weakness. The result is an album that isn't strong enough to win over people who aren't already fans, but will definitely satisfy fans of the Fatback sound.

© Donald A. Guarisco /TiVo