- A vocal sample can go a long way in house music, which is something Secondcity knows well. "I Wanna Feel," a track featuring snatches from a Toni Braxton tune, topped the UK charts in 2014 thanks to its uplifting vocal refrain. Secondcity's latest effort, a collaboration with George Smeddles, uses a cheaper version of the same trick. This time it's a vocal from "Bam Bam," the legendary reggae track by Sister Nancy. But where "I Wanna Feel" chopped and rearranged Toni Braxton's lyrics over a warm piano house beat, "Can You Feel It" loops a section of Sister Nancy's patois over derivative big-room tech house. Secondcity and Smeddles aren't the first artists to sample "Bam Bam," and their version feels rushed, hinged on an obvious sample with no relationship to the music it's paired with.
"Groove Is In" takes a slightly more creative approach to sampling. The vocal is edited and rearranged atop another lean beat, but the extra work pays off. The same big-room markers—white noise, drum rolls, breakdowns—are there, but the mood is livelier. That said, this doesn't save the EP, a release where even the track titles feel uninspired. Secondcity has proven to be a crafty sampler, so it's a shame Can You Feel It falls flat.
Tracklist01. Can You Feel It
02. Groove Is In