Ever the shrewd sonic sooth-sayer, DJ, producer and songwriter Mark Ronson has cannily realised that in music, everything that was old becomes new again. Comeback album Uptown Special capitalises on this current thirst for nostalgia: it’s an unashamed ‘70 and ‘80s romp, packed with super slick pop hits. Recent Morris Day and the Time-inspired single ‘Uptown Funk’ is a good indication of where Ronson’s head is at right now. However unlike similarly inescapable tunes such as Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines,’ the DJ’s got plenty more tricks up his sleeve.
Book-ended by a brace of slightly throwaway Stevie Wonder-featuring soul songs, this is a party album, pure and simple. There’s something for most people on Uptown Special. Older fans will love the T-Rex jamming with the Commodores vibe of ‘In Case Of Fire’ and the Santana-esque ‘Summer Breaking’ (featuring Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker), while younger ones will adore the impossibly funky, foul-mouthed James Brown-isms of ‘Feel Right’. Is Ronson shamelessly ripping off past sounds for profit or lovingly paying tribute to a timeless era? Who cares? This is pop.