Unexpected Lovers

Critics of Euro-dance music tend to dismiss its artists as faceless, but Denis and Denyse LePage — collectively the Canadian Hi-NRG duo Lime — are hardly faceless and certainly deserve credit for being recognizable. While Denis LePage brings a gruff, rock-like vocal style to Lime's Euro-dance grooves, Denyse LePage tends to sing in a high voice and sounds more R&B-influenced. Put them together and you have an appealing combination. Lime never became pop/Top 40 superstars in the U.S., but in dance clubs that played a lot of Hi-NRG, the male/female duo commanded much respect in the 1980s. One of the Lime LPs that club DJs were quick to notice was Unexpected Lovers, which came out on the Matra label in Canada but was released by TSR in the U.S. The haunting title song was a huge club hit, and while the rest of the album falls short of the title song's excellence, it's generally enjoyable — those who appreciate Euro-dance grooves will easily get into cuts like "I'm Falling in Love," "Say You Love Me," and "My Lovely Angel." Meanwhile, "Do Your Time on the Planet" combines the Euro-beat with synth-funk, and the instrumental "Are You Being Untrue Tonight" isn't unlike something Giorgio Moroder would have produced. For Hi-NRG enthusiasts, Unexpected Lovers is worth searching for.