There are no structural deficiencies in the source material for The Porter Project (Kriztal), on which guitarist, vocalist and producer Billy Paul Williams recontexualizes a batch of Cole Porter tunes into chilled-out ear candy. Williams’ ragamuffin take on “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” featuring attractive vocals from Lauren Carter,” and the dreamy “Easy to Love,” which employs Afro-Cuban percussion, are done in good taste. But for the most part The Porter Project fails to excite-there are simply too many interchangeable Cole Porter projects these days. Also, Williams’ sensibilities lean closer to smooth jazz than electronica’s more adventurous side. Songs like “Love for Sale,” “Gigolo” and “Be a Clown” are remodeled into the sort of innocuous cushion music that NPR uses between stories.
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