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Comparsa
02/17/1998 3:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Mike Lipton
Deep Forest, the most successful world music group to date--the band's self-titled 1992 debut went gold or platinum in the U.S., France, Great Britain, Norway, New Zealand and Australia--indulges the slick international musings of core members Eric Mouquet and Michel Sanchez. Following up the Eastern European influence of 1995's Boheme, Comparsa (Spanish for "partners," and the name given to Latin American street bands) opts for a more Afro-Caribbean approach. Like any music--from jazz to classical--aimed at mass consumption, the smooth, rounded edges that make for easy listening are exactly what makes serious music fans duck and cover. Despite the arsenal of singers and players (including numerous African vocalists and Weather Report's Joe Zawinul), nearly every track is undermined by Mouquet's synth work, obviously inspired by the worst moments of prog-rock and Euro dance-pop. Aside from Mouquet's Vocoder work, which recalls the nadir of '80s funk, "Radio Belize" is surprisingly potent, thanks to guttural vocals and upbeat sax lines. Other, occasional tracks like "Noonday Sun" and the title track are dangerously close to the real thing. Not to worry, with cuts like "Deep Weather," a programmed paean to Weather Report, and plenty of McWorld cuts like "Ekue Ekue," you're as safe as milk in the Deep Forest.
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