Alan Braxe / DJ Falcon: Step by Step EP Album Review

In the post-Roulé era, Braxe has become known for particularly starry-eyed takes on ’80s pop—like the Fred Falke collaboration “Rubicon,” a serotonin-fueled descendant of Jan Hammer’s Miami Vice theme, or “One More Chance,” a synth-driven power ballad in the tradition of “Take My Breath Away” and “One More Night”—and “Elevation” plays with similar sounds. It’s the weakest track here; within the context of the song’s mid-tempo funk, L.A. singer Sunni Colón’s velvety falsetto inevitably evokes Pharrell’s turns on “Happy” and “Get Lucky,” and the chords lack the unpredictable frisson of Braxe’s best work. Even the production, while sparkling and satisfyingly spacious, fails to surprise; this time, the déjà vu feels a little too on the nose.

The standout is “Step by Step,” a song so good that the rest of the EP pales in comparison. It’s a languid yacht-rock-disco number that features a chord progression for the ages; the sun-kissed vibe recalls Chicago, Godley & Crème, and Christopher Cross, while the high-end frequencies fan out like the jets of a lawn sprinkler. Clever filtering was always one of the principal hallmarks of French house, and the two producers make great use of it here. In the song’s intro, there’s nothing but tinny midrange frequencies that sound like a battered transistor radio playing your grandparents’ favorite soft-rock station. But then an invisible knob twists and a whole world of color and frequency comes surging to life.

What really makes the song is Noah Lennox, aka Animal Collective’s Panda Bear, who delivers one of his most stirring performances. His multi-tracked harmonies rise upward in gravity-defying layers, like glass-sheathed architectural marvels, and when he hits the high notes, it’s a searchlight streaking across the skyline. Though the lyrics are a hair’s breadth from an inspirational quote—it is, after all, a steadfast ode to taking things step by step—Lennox’s idiosyncrasies have a winning relatability that’s uncommon in platinum-dipped dance music; there’s a conversational familiarity to his drawl, and a loveable, almost goofy quality to some of his couplets (“As I try to find a new way forward/An empty space that I am goin’ for”). Few singers handle the balance of elation and dejection better than Panda Bear, and when he’s in underdog mode, as he is here, it’s impossible not to root for him.

Step by Step doesn’t entirely hang together as an EP. Leading with the best song is understandable, but it would have been better saved for last; listening sequentially, the shift from “Step by Step” to “Love Me” is jarring. But the producers sweeten the pot with “Step by Step – Bonus Beat,” a slow-motion dub that strips out Panda Bear’s lead vocals and leaves only his multi-tracked backing harmonies. Faster than the original, it’s no longer a middle-school slow dance, but an end-credits drive into the sunset. Panda Bear’s voice is unrecognizable; filters teasing him in and out of the background, he’s rendered shapeless and weightless, a chorus of angels. There’s a reason they call this stuff the French touch: It’s tactile, corporeal, a full-frequency embrace that can feel like a divine caress.