Soundboy Rock

by

Groove Armada

Edit

Yeah, I see all the complaining from some fans and reviewers, but I think they're missing something -- this album is great for hanging out and keeping good times rolling. Sure, there is a pop veneer here, but behind this are psychedelic, mind-bending tricks, from the elastic bass line in "Get Down" to the searing digitalism of "Lightsonic."

Groove Armada have also transformed from being great album producers to a great live act. So the album is more of a taster of their feverish live jams and experiments. I just saw them at LA's Hollywood Bowl, and their 15-minute final suite, incorporating "Superstylin," was on a level that most artists, electronic or not, cannot even begin to touch. What was even more stunning was the music, cradling this classic track, that is not featured on any album. The whole Bowl went nuts. These guys are clearly still at the top of their game.

Being a long time Groove Armada fan, and following them through all the twists and turns in their career, I was really excited when this new album was coming out. Now that I have the album... my excitement has ended.

"Get Down" (the lead single) is horrible. I mean it's cool to sound retro, but it should sound like GOOD old things, not garbage old things. It sounds like the Basement Jaxx "Jump'N'Shout" if it had been made by complete amateurs. "Get Down" would do well to look at its sister track "Things We Could Share" which gets the retro feel very right and is one of the few great tracks on this album, the others being "Girls Say" and... that's about it.

I know that every time an artist goes in a new direction or a new album comes out, there is always a segment of its fanbase that hates it. Unfortunately I guess that's me in this case. I'll still go see them live if they ever decide to grace Chicago with their presence again, but this album is a large failure in my book.

Aside from the above mentioned two tracks, stay far away from this album.