Roosevelt - Midnight Versions EP

Roosevelt
Midnight Versions EP
2017
Bandcamp

I don't know why but when an artist remixes their own shit I find it so fun. The Knocks did it last year and now French electropop singer Roosevelt is doing the same. Remixing some of the songs from his debut Roosevelt here as smooth club versions Roosevelt is proving what a talent he really is. If you browse Roosevelt's soundcloud page you'll see quite a few remixes that he has done all infused with his silky style. "Close" leads off the EP with an almost vocalless journey down one of the smoothest rides you've ever taken. There is so much groove, so much funk and so much ease you just fall right into this midnight rabbit hole. The next track "Night Moves" however takes a turn for the darker and actually sounds more like the original. You get the sense that this song in particular was just kind of pushed out into a longer version because it already sort of captured that midnight spirit. There are also times where it seems like Roosevelt is just ticking all the boxes He needs to in order to make sure the song reaches all the same peaks and valleys of the original. "Colours" has a really rich and beautiful sound even though it doesn't quite have the impact you would expect. The length is a problem because it allows the songs to slip away from you and just become background music.

Including more vocals would really help these tracks and give the over six minute run times of all the tracks more of a place. On "Wait Up" we do get a bit more vocals but it is not enough. The record begins with so much promise as this opening flourish on "Close" gets you so very excited but the monotony weighs the rest of the record down. The one thing Roosevelt did right is releasing this for free on Bandcamp. No Streaming, No ads, no build up just a record that He liked and wanted to share with the world, a sentiment that luckily is seeping into music more and more. It's a solid record for the fans but is unlikely to bring over any new converts, it is just too inside baseball for mass appeal. However if you find the clock striking midnight at your next party and you aren't quite ready to stop grooving, slide this in my friend.

6.6 out of 10