Retro and proud of it,
Ten City was among the most impressive "deep house" acts to come out of Chicago in the late 1980s. Like others playing deep house, these guys enthusiastically recall the great soul/disco of the mid- to late 1970s and make no secret of their love of that era.
Ten City clearly realizes that the best disco emphasized vocal personality as well as danceability, and like the music of
the Trammps,
Tavares and
Double Exposure before them,
Foundation is appropriate for listening as well as dancing. "That's That Way Love Is" (
City's best known single), "Suspicious," "Devotion" and other songs on this absorbing debut album aren't simply about the beat and the track, but also the rich vocals that would have sounded great even if
Ten City had gone a cappella.
Foundation was a smash in the clubs, but unfortunately didn't do that much in the R&B or pop markets. This is a group that deserves to be much better known. ~ Alex Henderson