Mark Ronson Record Collection Music
by Mark Ronson

Superstar producer Mark Ronson again takes centre stage with his new album Record Collection. The follow-up to 2007's hugely successful Versions sees Ronson accompanied by a hipster crew dubbed 'The Business International' and, naturally, a number of ultra-cool guest stars.

The melody of lead single and album opener 'Bang Bang Bang' burrows its way into the listener's brain with effortless cool. This track appropriates lyrics from the French children's song 'Alouette' and weds them to strutting synths to create a sexy, vacuous marriage of pop perfection.

Record Collection eschews the big name collaborations that brought Ronson such success on Versions in favor of the indie-credible likes of soulful Rose Elinor Dougall and Smiths-inspired rapper Theophilius London. These heavily hyped up-and-comers both provide vocals on sultry eighties throwback 'Hey Boy'. This track's blend of un-ironic nostalgia and carefully cultivated cool succinctly sums up the album's vibe.

Dougall appears on no fewer than four tracks and her strong, smoky vocals suggest Ronson, who produced Back in Black, has found his new Amy Winehouse. Here's hoping Rose doesn't burn up quite so quickly in the spotlight. Dougall's finest moment comes on Andrew Wyatt duet 'You Gave Me Nothing', which is carried on the kind of darkly beautiful synth sound that hasn't troubled the charts since the heyday of Soft Cell and Gary Numan.

Ronson reunites with Ghostface Killah, who lent vocals to Ronson's breakthrough hit 'Ooh Wee', for the MGMT meets Spaghetti Western gangsta cowboy ballad 'Lose It (In the End)'. D'Angelo, Duran Duran's Simon LeBon and Roll Deep's Wiley all crop up on tracks that play like synth-laden reworkings of each artist's signature sound.

Ronson breezes between styles with confidence and undeniable skill. Most of the songs are subtle, layered affairs that require a few listens before truly hooking listeners. The sound is very much that of Mark Ronson reworking favorite old cuts from his record collection. There's nothing here that sounds liable to be as huge as Amy Winehouse's guest appearance on 'Valerie' from Versions, but each song sounds like the product of considerable thought and craft, which alone is something of an achievement for a modern pop record.

Much like Mark Ronson's previous releases, Record Collection is an expertly assembled pop machine. The careful craftsmanship of the record ensures it of a long shelf-life.