- ANGO, AKA Andrew MacPherson, hails from the same fertile funked-up Montreal hip-hop scene as Lunice and Sixtoo/Prison Garde (the three also produce together as Nouveau Palais), but despite earning a sizable local cult his recording career has been in gestation the longest of the trio. Here, he finally makes his debut on Glasgow funk institution LuckyMe, a suitable home for his smooth liquid soul.
Another City Now paints MacPherson as an artist working in that crowded field of filtered funk nostalgia—compression-as-retrospection—though his production and songwriting feels more informed by modern R&B than the usual '80s touchstones. "All That You Can Stand" makes for a grandiose intro with its glossy chord vamps and indeterminate stomp, but the real show begins with the fantastic "Follow Me." That's the other thing about ANGO: dude can sing. His angelic but processed voice shouts over a compressed squirm, but the chorus is all crystal-clear croon, lost somewhere in the nether-regions of straight-up R&B and bass music.
As much as busy production works in his favour, highlight "Better for You" mellows out with gently lashing arpeggios and a slinky garage beat: his vocals are emphasized and laid out in the open, and the song's subtle Sepalcurean pulse prioritizes sensuality over velocity. Another City Now is a fine debut for a producer who has been waiting far too long for his close-up, but it's a flattering one. Mincing R&B with dance music and bolstering it all with his strong and soulful vocals, ANGO is a unique talent in a very overcrowded scene.
Tracklist 01. All That You Can Stand
02. Follow Me
03. Looking For Love
04. Love Me
05. Better For You
06. What You Lose
07. Love Me (Dub)