As High As The Sky

Montreal's the Mole (Colin de la Plante) releases his debut full-length album. A Wagon Repair veteran of numerous singles and member of the Modern Deep Left Quartet with his comrades from Cobblestone Jazz, the Mole has established a strong reputation for his jubilant house and humble attitude. He's released on Itiswhatitis, collaborated with Paddy from Cobblestone as the Smokin Posties, created a 5-turntable experimental techno project referred to mysteriously as the "Starchy Root Machine" and is currently planning to start a 7" label of disco edits with fellow Canadian Koosh. Opening with a bouncy intro, "Still in My Corner" begins with deceptively dark melodic tones and a funked-up bass plunge before growing into a mid-pace house treat. "Ain't the Way It Supposed to Be" leads with sustained pads, infectious Latin percussion and cinematic string samples, climbing to close with a bass-heavy disco drive. "Alice You Need Him" builds around looped dripping melodies, taking things deep with shimmering soundscapes and modulated synth. "Hey Girl (I Feel So Good)" is an anthemic house number, building on sampled ride riffs and prodding synth to the sound of an excitable audience. An edit of recent Wagon Repair single "Baby, You're the One" follows, with stabbed key melodies, deeply reverberated percussion and looped soulful vocals, creating a deep house sweat fest. The wobbled melodies of "Gracias a Los Ninos" plunges US deeper, with pulsing submarine-style pads offering a brief breather. Equally chilled, "Like the Way" builds slowly around an eccentric drum pattern and mantric vocal sample, before "Smiling And Running" gathers pace with funk percussion, deep pulsed synth tones and panned bass rhythms. "Knock Twice" sticks to the funk theme, with smooth bass progressions and tight percussion, escalating with choppy guitar and effected flute samples. Closing on a lullaby, "When It Tastes So Good" is pure chocolate, with soothing sampled keys and bouncing bass dozing into a lazy Spanish guitar and Caribbean steel drum finale - not the first indication that the Mole dreams of one day burrowing his way to tropical climes.