Gabin: Gabin : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

On their debut, Max Bottini and Filippo Clary serve up a dozen moody grooves perfect for a post-clubbing nightcap. True to its title, "Urban Night" is accompaniment to a pre-dawn stroll down sleepy avenues, while "Delire et Passion" and "La Maison" sound like refugees from a French film score. "Doo Uap, Doo Uap, Doo Uap," a loop from Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" fitted to a house beat, is a slinky dance-pop gem that scored the duo a Top Five hit in their native Italy. Only on "House Trip," with its floor-shaking beat and dubbed-in crowd noise, does Gabin raise the temperature above a sensual simmer. Rife with jazzy textures and urban sophistication, Gabin is an ideal soundtrack for cappuccino kids and chill-out rooms.

MICHAEL ANSALDO
(October 28, 2002)