Released under the moniker
Mark Ronson & the Business Int'l, DJ/songwriter/producer
Mark Ronson's 2010 album
Record Collection feels more like the work of an actual band, or at least a collective, and less like a DJ album of guest vocalists even though there are a plenty here. The band idea is further reinforced by the inclusion of vocalists
Andrew Wyatt (
Fires of Rome,
Mike Snow) and
Amanda Warner (
MNDR) who appear throughout
Record Collection. The two singers,
Wyatt with his sanguine soulful croon and
Warner with her robust diva wail, take the lead on several cuts and lend a more unified palette to
Ronson's songs. Add to this that
Ronson, who also takes to the vocal mic on several tracks, wrote or co-wrote most of the material here. Throw in the fact that he uses actual musicians more than samples, and you have a legit work of original music that still capitalizes on
Ronson's deft beat and melody mixing turntable skills. Songs like the lead-off cut "Bang Bang Bang" featuring rapper
Q-Tip and
Warner should appeal to fans of
Ronson's funk and electronic-music DJ taste while the Afropop infused "Somebody To Love" featuring
Boy George and
Wyatt is a catchy, rhythmically compelling modern soul tune. Of course, you do get a few choice star cameos here from the likes of
Duran Duran's
Simon LeBon on the title track and reclusive neo-soul singer
D'Angelo on "Glass Mountain Trust," but they simply add to the inspired and creative vibe of the album. The ultimate irony and triumph of
Record Collection, is that on an album all about how
Ronson's own obsessive music tastes have defined his life, we finally hear him step away from the turntable and produce one of the best albums of his career.
–
Matt Collar, Rovi