Review: “Happy Hour” by N-Trance (CD, 1998)

Today’s Pop Rescue from an uncertain fate, is 1998’s Happy Hour, the second album by the British dance group N-Trance. Will this album have you in a trance, or should you call last orders on it? Read on…

N-Trance - Happy Hour (1998) album — N-Trance – Happy Hour (1998) album.

This 11 track CD opens with their hit Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? – loaded with catchy riffs, a thick plodding bass line, and Ricardo Da Force’s rap that lures in the sense of audience participation. The track benefits from samples from Rod Stewart‘s hit version of the song and dance vocalist Kelly Llorenna also on the mic. N-Trance credited the song rightly, as ‘featuring Rod Stewart’, and ultimately this catchy track also rightly gave them a #7 UK hit.

Next up is fifth single Paradise City, which declares that ‘today is the last day of the music industry’, before a ton of hard electric guitars crash in as if in the midst of a stadium gig. Ricardo is back on the mic here, and whilst he’s not the only one on the mic, he’s the dominant voice here. He leaves the chorus of this Guns ‘n’ Roses cover to them, but sadly this version of paradise was not for everyone, and the single stumbled at #28.

Tears In The Rain follows that, and this shifts the tone completely – with breathy vocals led by Kelly and joined by Jerome Stokes. Here, the drums are shuffling, the music is calmer, and it feels a little bit like the slow and emotional tracks that 2 Unlimited drop into their albums too. The track was the album’s sixth and final single, but stalled at #53, probably because it is almost unrecognisably N-Trance.

Then it’s Broken Dreams, which adapts Mr. Mister’s 1985 hit Broken Wings. The sound remains fairly subdued as Ricardo gently performs his rap that leads us to the familiar chorus. The track plods along nice enough, but the auto-tune on the vocals in the chorus is blatant and does grate after a while. The track was released as a single, but not in the UK.

That’s followed by Feel Good, which returns us back to a big thumping dance track with skittish synth leads over a thudding beat. Ricardo shouts out to the audience as Kelly returns to the mic to deliver the big vocals, this all results in the track sounding musically a little like Maxx’s ‘Get Away’ hit.

Lead single D.I.S.C.O is next, seeing the band bravely take on this Ottawan hit. The track is relatively loyal to the 1981 original, updated with Ricardo’s rap giving us a nice contrasting off-set, and Kelly’s perfect vocals. Their gamble paid off, giving them a reputable #11 UK hit.

Andaré Con Mé (English: I Will Walk With Me) is next. Breathy vocals from Jerome and Kelly return, as a racing beat and gurgling synth sits beneath their slightly sexual groaning and giggles together. There are some echoes here of Encore Une Fois by Sash!, but it’s minimal substance makes this track a bit of a filler.

Then it’s If, a piano-led mid-tempo lovestruck song. It sticks out like a sore thumb really, and whilst Jerome tries to make the most of the lyrics, they sound like an awkward teenage written love song. It plods along but ultimately it should not be here.

That’s followed by Superstition, a cover of Stevie Wonder’s 1972 track. This track is another great example of N-Trance giving an update to a classic, and it sings of N-Trance’s 1995 hit Stayin’ Alive. The funkiness remains here, and it’s pretty loyal to the original with Jerome doing a fantastic job with Stevie’s lyrics, off-set perfectly by Ricardo’s rap. This should have been a single.

Amadeus is next, and it’s frantic. Sounding like something left over from 1993 meets my old Yamaha keyboard demo button, with some Mozart thrown in as contrast. The result is like an ill-fated refresh of the Antiques Roadshow theme by an upstart new TV producer.

The album closes with second single The Mind Of The Machine, opened by a 1 minute monologue by playwright and actor Steven Berkoff. The track gives Kelly some big dance vocals at least, over a foreboding piano sequence before the drum machines pummel the track. This gave N-Trance a moderate hit, with it reaching #15 in the UK chart, but here on the album it’s 8m 51s, and feels very self-indulgent.

N-Trance’s lead single ‘D.I.S.C.O’ (1997).

Verdict

Over all, this album is a mixture of banger dance/rap hits that nod to 1970’s/1980’s anthems, and abstract dance music.

There are some great belters here that on paper probably sounded ridiculous, but the balance between new and old in Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? with Rod Stewart, Superstition, and D.I.S.C.O, updated with fresh beats and raps really works well. Even slower track Tears In The Rain sounds great too.

However, If is a total stinker, and you’ll be hard-pressed to not press the skip button after only just a few bars in. Previous track Andaré Con Mé is also a tough listen as it sounds like someone left the record button on whilst Kelly and Jerome bonk, and finally, Paradise City doesn’t quite hit the spot under the N-Trance moniker.

The combination of Ricardo and Kelly works really well, but sadly Kelly Llorenna comes out of this album like a caged bird – her soaring dance vocals should have been used more effectively here.