[Rebellion]

In recent years the Crosstown Rebels imprint has shown itself adept at staying relevant. It’s done so with a house-dominated roster including Deniz Kurtel, Art Department and Jamie Jones. New this year, its sub-label, Rebellion, has been billed as Damian Lazarus’ outlet for “edgier” releases. Given Crosstown’s catalog, it stands to reason that this younger brand would sidestep to other genres or, failing that, try something more dangerous within the style. Thus far, however, nothing of substantial difference has been offered. If anything, it’s proven mostly inconsistent, ranging from Sis’ inconsequential Gallian/Machiste to Russ Yallop’s better Crossroads. London’s Tim Green wouldn’t seem a stabilizing inclusion. He’s produced many a boorish fist-pumper for Cocoon and Get Physical, while with Dirtybird things have swung the opposite way, becoming quirky to the point of gimmick. Here, on the other hand, there’s more to appreciate.

Following in the wake of artists like Jacques Greene and Deadboy, the garage-tinged “Cherry” is underpinned by a steady 4×4 thump. Undulating vocals most often hold the helm, their flushed femininity regularly spattered with globular synth notes. Sometimes they’re also pricked right through by a series of angular, stuttering chords forcing their way upwards. The real character is in the percussion though: cantering glocks and big, slappy claps overriding the cardboard-on-concrete hats to impart a rollicking feel. On the other side, “Swamp Girl” could be Maceo Plex creation. As in “Your Style,” the bulky low-end sounds like a rubber boulder being heaved around. The vocals are a simple repeated phrase rather than a series of mangled harmonies. Lightly treacled chords bridge the brief gaps between these repetitions, moving forth with a kind of dulled shine amid crisp claps. It’s essentially a pretty well-made cut, and a nice accompaniment for the slimmer clip-clop of “Cherry.” As palatable as they are, however, they’re more of a testament to Green’s skin-switching prowess than to his originality.