LimeWire Music Blog

Roy Davis, Jr. rose from the Chicago house scene that birthed first wave legends like Frankie Knuckles, Larry Heard, Ron Hardy, and Lil’ Louis. After a stint in the groundbreaking Chitown group Phuture (which featured DJ Pierre), Davis went on to score a slew of dance hits, including The Believers’ sax-laden “Who Dares to Believe In Me?” and the minimal R&B anthem “Gabrielle” featuring Pevan Everett. Davis hasn’t stopped refining his sound, and God Life Music finds his brand of “soul electrica” sounding as good as ever. Davis’ production work on “Chicago Heights” boasts precise string arrangements and crisp beats, and he revisits the glorious horns that made “Who Dares to Believe In Me?” an international hit. Overall, Davis’ DJ skills serve him well. He knows exactly how to pace his album, and he’s assembled a first-rate crew of vocal collaborators. “What is Love” featuring one-named vocalist Mark is a deep morsel that distills the essence of two seminal house tracks, Bobby Konders’ “The Poem” and Mr. Fingers’ “Can You Feel It?” Songstress Erin Martin does a terrific job fronting the deliriously uplifting “We Have a Vision” and the electro-tinged “What Cha Gonna Do?” The album’s strength lies in the fact that Davis isn’t afraid to mix it up or take chances. He dabbles well with hip-hop on “Space Muzik” featuring the decent rhymes of Heat Fam, while another one-named vocalist, Manny, fronts the uptempo “Bad Like Me,” “Hold U,” and the late-night slow jam “Electronic Love.” If that wasn’t enough, Davis slides in the hip-house charm of “Come On” featuring XL, which sounds like De La Soul fronting a classic Chip E track. Though times have changed and house music’s sound has been bastardized for better or worse, it’s good to see Roy Davis, Jr. still carrying the torch for the Windy City.