Hotel Costes - 15

While there are a few standout tracks here, Stephane Pompougnac seems to be going through the motions more and more with every release. This is light years from the high standards set by the first seven releases in the series.Sorry Stephane, but I'm going to download future releases and listen fully before taking another chance on them

I have quite a few of the earlier discs in the Costes series but have given them a wide berth in recent years, mainly because I felt they were starting to get a bit 'samey'. I saw a few good reviews for this one so decided to give it a go.

This is not quite as entertaining a collection as we were once accustomed to expect from M Pompougnac, but it's still a very worthwhile proposition. The album starts well, in classic Hotel Costes territory, wavers in the middle, then, once SP's own contribution is out of the way, finishes strongly. Interestingly, it is the middle section that hints at a new direction, with no fewer than three numbers showing an arabesque influence, including the powerful I Want Her But I Don't Want Her by Zahed Sultan. Of the other two, Caravane featuring Grace Jones is adventurous but ultimately unrewarding, while Pompougnac's One by One is not adventurous enough. For all that, this dalliance with the orient shows promise and I for one would like to see it developed further.The only reggae track is Tom Fire's well-meant but daft Brainwash; other weaker efforts are Osunlade's Idiosyncracy and Second Date's Young, Beautiful etc.. Mister Chicken by Deluxe is nice but seems not to belong here. But these are easily compensated for by stand out tracks such as Soulstice's lovely, haunting Lost In The City, Lanu's wonderfully naive Beautiful Trash, the opening pair of Slackwax's Close To My Fire and the Intergalactic Lovers' Fade Away and of course the Zahed Sultan number.For me, the arrival of the latest Hotel Costes album is still as exciting a moment as ever and I'm already looking forward to No 16.

I got this album for Christmas - specially requested from my father in law (!) - and have been listening to it a lot during January. I have quite a few of the earlier discs in the Costes series but have given them a wide berth in recent years, mainly because I felt they were starting to get a bit 'samey'. I saw a few good reviews for this one so decided to give it a go. I have to say I do like this collection - a good mix of slower and more upbeat tracks, quite a few quirky ones and overall a great musical journey as you listen to the whole disc.For me, this is the best Costes album in some time - it certainly stands up well against some of the early 'classics' in the series - and I would definitely reccomend it. Big thanks to Stephane Poumpignac for keeping the beats alive!