As if summoned by the times, Inner City returns with their first album in 30 years. Titled We All Move Together, the album hones in on the soul at the heart of the genre, looking to unite and then uplift through the heartfelt power of song .
Now comprised of Kevin Saunderson, Dantiez Saunderson and vocalist Steffanie Christi’an, Inner City is one of Detroit’s paramount house outfits, laying the foundation for today’s dance music scene with sublime and spiritual classics like “Big Fun,” “Good Life,” and later on, “Let It Reign.” The album’s lead single of the same name features an original vocal sample from Idris Elba, ultimately setting the tone for an LP that’s as as socially empowering as it is dance floor ready.
It’s possible to sum up We All Move Together by highlighting the album’s enduring nostalgia, but a few thorough listens make it clear how much that undercuts Inner City’s latest work. Sure, tracks like the contagious “Save Me,” or the acid-soaked “Dance” hang heavily on the influences of yesteryear, but the fact that they also stand among the strongest house cuts of today puts Inner City’s latest work not in the class of nostalgia, but timeless.
Inner City’s We All Move Together is out now on Armada Music. Listen in full below.