After Pretty Lights fashioned Nightmare on Wax’s catchy funk exploration “You Wish” into a remixed exclamation of feeling good, producer George Evelyn gained inspiration to spread a similar positivity under his turntables, resulting in his first album in five years, Feelin Good. While positivity is an accessible escape within music, his comeback surfaces nothing new, accumulating few tracks that stand out and many an overkill.
Whenever Evelyn sticks to his guns with down-tempo trip-hip, on the other hand, his tracks leave a memorable mark. Instead of proclaiming obnoxious YOLO nonsense to the sky, Evelyn critiques the “Master Plan”, an endless warp with gorgeous vocals sewn through the track’s core. This texturizes a gentle ambiance, cueing nights away from bangers and experiencing another type of having good time. Rhodes keys heighten this sensuality and bleed into other primetime tracks that expand Feelin Good‘s genre base, whether it’s Soul Train groove (co-hosted by Wolfgang Haffner) in “Luna 2” or the bass-heavy “There 4u”.
It’s Evelyn’s dependence on happy-go-lucky samples and lyrical themes that identify him as “that guy” out at the club. “(Eye) Can’t See” feels like requesting “The Electric Slide” at the club; we all know it already and we don’t want to hear it. Lead single “Now Is the Time” fills out a carbon copy feel to Fatboy Slim, making its hyped adrenaline sound artificial.
While there’s nothing wrong with having a good time, it’s different when it comes to going to the same party over and over again. That’s why there are costume parties and themed bashes, creative outlets for taking risks and making distinct impressions. Nightmares on Wax has dressed in the same costume from a couple of years ago, struggling to change.
Essential Tracks: “Master Plan”, “Luna 2”