Artist: Nic Fanciulli
Title: Lucky Heather / Cat Out Of The Bag
Label: Renaissance Recordings
By: Antonella Sirec | 21 September 2006
Tracklist:

• A: Lucky Heather
• B: Cat Out Of The Bag

Nic Fanciulli "Lucky Heather / Cat Out Of The Bag"

One man that needs no introductions these days is Nic Fanciulli. Whether performing one of his eponymous DJ sets or creating music under the guise of Skylark and of course Buick Project, there seems to be no stopping this veritable melting pot of talent. Having already released 'The Squirreled EP' last year under his own name to much critical and popular praise, the follow up 'Lucky Heather / Cat Out Of The Bag' is something that fans have been waiting for with much anticipation. Unfortunately for this particular fan, this new release didn't quite hit all the right notes.

'Lucky Heather' opens with the sounds of a padded piano riff and subtle synths as layers of sound effects are added as the tune starts to climb in feel. This build is maintained at a gradual pace as more varying chords and synths continue to be layered. Soon enough, a subtle variance of drums kicks the track off but that progressive feel continues with more urgency in sound until the breakdown stops the tune's progress. This is only short lived as quickened drum patterns herald the return of that melodic piano like riff with high-end synths playing a major part in the overall composition. As the track comes to an end, what was once climbing in feel is now descending in sound and 'Lucky Heather' finishes on a single drumbeat. While an overtly house infused number, this particular release never really hit home for me. The overly extended build up which was initially fantastic to listen to, is much like the foreplay to an orgasm that never eventuates (How bitterly disappointing!). I was forever waiting for that massive wall of sound to hit through but it never happened. While I liked the subtle aspects of this track, I think in this case they were far too subtle and lessened the overall punch the tune could have displayed. Nonetheless, an enjoyable piece of music, if not a little misleading.

On a slightly deeper tip, 'Cat Out Of The Bag' opens on a rhythmic drumbeat, with washed synths and piano like effects adding a sense of texture to the tune. These sounds make way for a very funk infused beat that's very sublime to the ear but clearly drives the direction of the track. A more prominent swirly harmony starts to come into play that's reminiscent of an old church organ. The use of those washed synths becomes more apparent now as a pattern emerges in the structure of this tune. Specifically, the track builds and then drops in feel at pivotal points that begin with those swirling harmonies and washed synths. This looping of sounds and effects continues along a similar path until the track draws to a close and ends on the same familiar note as 'Lucky Heather'. From an overall perspective, this track has a lot of enjoyable elements but some of the effects used here were a bit too much for my liking and I felt they dominated a track that should have otherwise been more enjoyable. A more balanced approach to the various facets would have made for something far more rewarding in sound.

Being a fan of Nic Fanciulli's, I was quite excited to get my hands on this latest release but after listening to 'Lucky Heather' and 'Cat Out Of The Bag' I was left a little disappointed. While both are still very enjoyable releases and there's no disputing their quality, I felt that both compositions came a little too easy for him. If I were to be quite blunt, I would have to say that both tracks actually bored me after a while which was something that I didn't expect from this talented DJ and producer. 'Lucky Heather' was forever building in feel but unfortunately never reached that consummation in sound, 'Cat Out Of The Bag' relied on far too many synths and effects. I often find that the use of too many effects in a tune mask a composition that isn't all that great to begin with. Reluctantly, that's exactly how I felt with this release. But there's always a next time and I look forward to Fanciulli's future releases.