LET IT SHINE!

Just about everytime EW&F broke new ground in the mainstream from any album, their follow-up release would attempt to pull back in an effort to recapture some of the group's true essence. Spirit, Faces and this album are all perfect examples. Powerlight is the successor to 1981's Raise!, which was a commercial comeback album of sorts for EW&F. The incredibly glossy acoustics, futuristic sound effects and formulaic rhythms that made Raise! a success were combined with the meatier instrumental and vocal contributions that Raise! was missing, laying an intriguing framework that I'm sure the "shiny suit men" thought couldn't miss...



"Fall In Love With Me", the lead-off single, while dance-floor ready, immediately sets a laid-back tone and clarifies EW&F's direction for this album as R&B, one of their many mastered genres. Unfortunately for the pop fans gained from Raise!, this cut would be the closest EW&F would come to sticking their necks out for them on Powerlight. Hey, sucks to be them! Because in terms of R&B/dance cuts, this album is brimming over with jewels like the hard-driving, vocoder-assisted "Spread Your Love", the breezy "The Speed Of Love", and the funked up "Hearts To Heart". The ballads are near-mint, with the gorgeous "Side By Side", "Straight From The Heart" which at first sounds like a re-re-hashing of "After The Love..." but finds its own identity, and the lullaby-like "Miracles". Yes, those kids sound real, real bad at the end, but if they just stopped the music beforehand, it might not have been taken so seriously.



Personally, I love this album, even as underrated and un-classic as it may be. The beefed up bass and high-impact vocals actually helped this album achieve a harder edge than the immediately preceding albums, without having to move 100 miles an hour or having to reinvent the wheel creatively, as was done on Raise! This album is very much EW&F, but the following changes led them in the wrong direction:



- Starting with Raise!, The Emotions became mainstays in the band, guest starring more often and contributing background vocals more frequently. On Powerlight, you can hear them on just about every song. By the next album, Wanda & Co. would take over the background and actual group member background vocals would be all but absent.



- The computer effects, in addition to stagnating musical creativity, were also being used to distort live vocal and instrumental performance on Powerlight, which should not have to be done with this group, which is known for its skills in both areas.



Anyway, you do not need to be a hardcore fan to appreciate this tight package. Powerlight takes EW&F's nuances of the '80s and offers them in rare form back to their core audience. If you already own this album and don't see its value, give EW&F's following release a listen, then clutch your shining Powerlight just a little bit tighter.

Too many chefs in the salad

There are just too many outside writers involved with this project.."Side by Side" and "Fall In Love With Me" are the only songs that have any staying power..I think the band could have used a little more time off to regroup after "Raise"

What's heard when you light a candle after the lights go out

The first time I heard this album was when I was about the age of 4, so i'll try not to let my nostolgia skew my review too much. I get the idea that to some fans and critics, this album may not be considered so much of a classic...but it certainly is my personal favorite...and for the exception of that last minute of the track "Miracles" it's nearly flawless.

I think this album may sound a bit dated to some, due to the production work, it doesn't have the "timeless" feel on many of EWF's earlier releases...but there is something unique about "Powerlight' and that is the consistency of the rhythm along with the uplifing/light in the dark/glowing theme...almost a bit visual.

In my mind the sound of "Powerlight" is EWF catching up or reacting to the cold, electronic sound of the early eighties...but they create it such a subtle way, without losing the soul and their roots. A few of the uptempo tracks (Fall In Love With Me, Spread Your Love, Hearts To Heart) despite the synthesizers, (and I believe a drum machine was used) have big productions in the typical EWF style, but a little different this time...I can only describe it as sounding a bit more like Quincy Jones meets Juan Atkins, or Herbie Hancock.

Unfortunetly, the next release of the same year (Electric Universe) went further into the fads and trends of '82, '83...which saw Maurice White losing his steam...the EWF's lineup changed, which may have effected the focus later on...but i feel "Powerlight" doesn't in (any way) show that...to me this was their last great consistant album, and pretty much marks a line between the old EWF and what came after...ironically, kinda reminds me of what happened with Prince in the late 1980s after the release of "Lovesexy", before his lineup changed again...but that album ended up being one of his best recordings ever.

The standout tracks are the catchy but complex "Fall In Love With Me", the midtempo "Side By Side", and your good 'ol EWF ballad "Miracles"...My guilty pleasure is "Hearts to Heart" I love hearing the 2 choruses go back and fourth organic-like, it closes the album in the most perfect way.

I wouldn't reccomend "Powerlight" for anyone who may wanna make this their first EWF purchase, although it wouldn't be a bad start...but I think this album would sit better with the people who are already fans of EWF...there are some strange moments...but nothing that ruins it.