Alpha

Stargazing, the third album from Corin Dingley and Andy Jenks, a Bristol, England-based duo who initially debuted on Massive Attack’s Melankolic label, sees them delving into their classic songwriter roots. Less of a trip-hop affair than their previous records, Stargazing (Special Edition) — a revamped U.S. version of the original with a different track listing and look — reaches back to the Sixties, creating moods reminiscent of Lee Hazlewood, Burt Bacharach, and Claudine Longet, while retaining a languid beats foundation and a lazy rhythmic shuffle. These latter elements are taken by vocalists Martin Barnard, Wendy Stubbs, Helen White, and Kelvin Swaybe and treated with a sultry fireside flavor. Though occasionally misfiring with tracks such as “Vers Toi,” for the most part Stargazing‘s dreamy songs like “I Just Wanna Make You” and “Once Around Town” are keepers, with breathy tonations that make them the perfect romantic accompaniment to an evening of seduction.