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Adding to the rich musical landscape of Chicago should prove to be a daunting task. Try to nudge your way into the blues scene and, whether you like it or not, nightly you’re up against Buddy Guy and Pinetop Perkins. Now try throwing your weight around in the birthplace of House music. Walter Meego does exactly that, and though they wear the disco and pop influences on a familiar sleeve, they’ve managed to create a single that is quite fresh.

This EP, loaded with remixes of the title track, “Romantic” and tag-along, “Wanna Be a Star”, delivers only once. But that one moment is strong. The original version of “Romantic” sits in the pole position. The song starts with a build-up that would have Scott “Prefuse 73” Herren heading for the copyright lawyer’s office, but quickly morphs into a happy floor-filler.

The fact that “Romantic” would fit right after “Breakaway” on the Basement Jaxx's Rooty, with its jovial house thumps and stutters is what gives it charm. So too would it work alongside any Daft Punk hit on the dance floor. The similarities to these and other groups in the dance-pop hierarchy lend an intrigue to the single but easily become cringe-worthy when overdone on “Wanna Be a Star”.

The accompanying remixes do very little to distinguish themselves from their namesakes. With all of the quirky elements to “Romantic”, these could have easily taken the track to new levels. These Daft Punk throw-away b-sides and uninteresting remixes won’t warrant much more than a quick skim.

Alone, “Romantic” is a solid, fun, summer jam of which all should find themselves a quirky danceable attraction. An album is in the works from Walter Meego. Romantic is a great start, though here’s to hoping they ditch the anchor of imitation and expand their sound incorporating the more adventurous styles they merely hint at here.

Reviewed by: Greg

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