Amber
Netherlands-born singer Amber's (a.k.a. Marie-Claire Cremers) self-titled album finds an open seat in the school of dance-pop classics. Produced by the Berman Brothers responsible for the overly formulaic Real McCoy albumAnother Night, this CD reveals the brothers' more inventive potential. The tracks onAmberbuild out of a classic disco framework, adding currents of trance ("Sexual [Li Da Di]") or techno punctuations ("Don't Wanna Stop"). Occasional acoustic-guitar licks add an organic element to "Above the Clouds" and the dance-mix cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind." Amber digs deep to evoke the R&B; soul that flavors her vocals, at her funkiest, emulatingTaylor Dayne. She sings of love, peace, and unity with a ring-around-the-roses lyrical simplicity, but hey, this is dance music, not Dylan. Casual fans ofErasure, thePet Shop Boys,Crystal Waters, orSunscreemwill eat this up.--Beth Massa