George Is On (CD - 2005)

Deep Dish: Richard Morel (vocals, guitar); Anousheh Khalili (vocals, piano); Stevie Nicks, Janis Leahy (vocals); Dean Coleman, John Allen, Sultan (guitar); Bill Hamel (keyboards); Rob Black (drums); Sharam Tayebi (programming).

Seven years after their last album of original productions and eight long months after the leadoff single "Flashdance" stormed the clubs, Deep Dish returned with George Is On. A slicker, more extroverted effort than their 1998 effort Junk Science, George Is On finds that album's main vocalist/lyricist Richard Morel back with the duo. The guitar-heavy "Sacramento" is one of the best cuts yet to come from the relationship, with the more laid-back and foggy "Everybody's Wearing My Head" running a close second. Besides Morel, plenty of hypnotic, nocturnal instrumentals recall the duo's well-respected debut, but the flippant, cheeky "Flashdance" and a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" with Stevie Nicks guesting explore the worlds of anthems and arguably camp, something that's been slowly developed on the multiple Deep Dish mix albums that have appeared since their proper debut. The mash-up of "Flashdance" and Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" that closes the track list is only a bit clever and entirely anti-climatic if the listener considers it part of the album instead of a throwaway bonus. Otherwise, George Is On may be a shade too comfortable for anyone thinking Deep Dish should always sound like the future, but the album is as well crafted as Junk Science and a lot more fun. ~ David Jeffries minimize