I'm sure I'm not the only one who audibly groaned when reading the name of my latest Demorama assignment. "This is gonna hurt BAD" I said to myself after viewing the pouting, boy-toy photo on his MP3.com sample page.
In retrospect, I wasn't too far off.
Pssst...Bernie, this look DIED in the mid-80's for a reason.
Electronica abounds in Bernie's R&B/soul offerings that gets your foot tapping right away. Before you know it, you'll be humming his hooks while admiring his looks. (What ANOTHER groan??). Artistic potential follows this guy around like a lost puppy. Judging from the photo, so would about six million pre-pubescent girls. George Michael, eat your heart out!
Bernie actually lists George as an influence and I'd wholeheartedly agree. Add a few more harmonic vocal overdubs and I could add Depeche Mode to that list. "Jump In And Out Of My Love" starts with an urban dance synth/drum combination that reminds me of progressive jazz superstar faves 3rd Force (very William-Aura-esque). This same stylistic thread weaves its way through Bernie's music in "Set Me Free" (dedicated to his parents-VERY cool!) and "What Happened (To Our Love)." While the beat is somewhat sterile at times, it's infectious nature more than compensates. Bernie's released a self-titled 8 track CD (no pun intended), more info available at his website.
Todd Schneider, 'Demorama.com'
