“Aha,” they thought, “UK garage and solo dancing will be a surefire hit!” And yet, and yet…
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[6.09]
Thomas Inskeep: This lyrical mashup of “Irreplaceable” and “I Will Survive” (with a soupçon of “Dancing On My Own,” natch) is great chiefly because it rides a sample from Sweet Female Attitude’s 2000 UKG classic “Flowers.” And because it nails the right attitude — sharp and sassy without being rude.
[8]
Cédric Le Merrer: Modern UK R&B à la Disclosure with less restraint and more pop smarts. One of these girls was in Mini Viva, which figures. Finally a song about dancing on your own that’s a joyous kiss-off rather than a mopey lament or a bleak cat lady anthem. I may close the blinds and put on headphones to dance away a bad memory or two.
[8]
Anthony Easton: You know the patterns, you can paint the paint by numbers, and any elements of innovation have been done half a generation before. Even the call of the dance floor sounds obligatory and not very celebratory. I am glad M.O are finding themselves, but this retreat into blandness won’t help.
[2]
Micha Cavaseno: *affects best So Solid crew impersonator vox* Huh! M.O bring the garage back. Got the bubble & squeak track. Ghosts of that Sunship mix, but don’t take the piss. Rough with the smooth, nothing new, but a summer breezer to make the gyal dem feel cool. SEND IT! *skanks off in some off-key Moschino outfit*
[7]
Scott Mildenhall: Perhaps the purest effort yet at creating Kisstory: The Song. It’s almost as if they want you to play draw the lines of source, and that is more fun. The path of Deborah Cox missing the top 40 with “It’s Over Now” to Big Ang improving it and taking it inside before Freemasons took it higher and Burns lower is an illustrious one, a lyric and melody perfectly adaptable to whatever form of dance music is popular at the time. “Dance On My Own”‘s effort is pure homage and pure trendchasing, with perhaps a little too much reliance on that, even with original lyrics. The sum total only resembles “Never Gonna Let You Go”; what would really be interesting is something that sounds like “Ripgroove”.
[6]
Brad Shoup: If you’d given me the blind taste test I would’ve credited whatever garage label ’cause they sprung for three singers. They’re more indignant than present, summoning high dudgeon for the hook but disappearing into effecthood elsewhere. This sort of thing — and the brittle production — tends to be saved for the remix.
[5]
Alfred Soto: The skittering percussion and triggered vocal samples evoke New Jack, and kudos to the pitch-altered vocal echo after each verse in the bridge. The chorus is weak TLC, though.
[5]
Will Adams: A great chorus and a strong argument for the need for more 2-step crossover into pop, but I would have preferred to hear this with Katy B’s voice.
[6]
Crystal Leww: Girl groups have become a great place for nostalgia the last few years, and M.O is no exception, combining R&B vocals with UK garage. The vocals are warm and defiant over an icy and cool beat. It conveys the right tone to that summer fling who did wrong and who needs getting rid of now that the air is finally getting cooler.
[8]
Katherine St Asaph: Forget the supposed Summer of Ass; 2014 is the Summer of Dancing On Your Own. It is not the Summer of Garage, despite M.O’s game efforts. For that 2014 would have to suck less, and M.O try more.
[6]
David Lee: Watered-down Mis-Teeq, which, you know, there are worse things.
[6]