Groove Armada follow up 2007's groovy hip Hop/Dub-inflected Dance CD "Soundboy Rock" with "Black Light". Out go big-voiced soul divas like Candi Staton and Angie Stone (who loaned their voices to a few tracks) and in comes a poppier guitar, more Eurodisco sound. Both albums could have been recorded by different groups.
With no instrumentals or ballads (like Soundboy Rock's "Save my soul", "What's your version" or "From the rooftops"), the mood is sunny and upbeat.
Opening is the guitar driven Alt Rock/Pop "Look me in the eye sister", followed by the droning falsetto-sung "Fall silent" with Nick Littlemore from Empire Of The Sun who also appears on the anthemic "Not forgotten" (with a snarling performance this time), the buzzing "Cards to your heart" (with spoken/sung lyrics), and on the Prodigy-style "Warsaw" with additional vocals by Saintsaviour.
"Just for tonight" is a charming Indie Pop ditty with jangly guitars and strings, while "I won't kneel" has a chorus that sounds like ABBA (vocals by Saintsaviour).
The clubbier numbers start from midway into the album; the electrifying "Paper romance", the outstanding "Shameless" (with some spoken French and crooned aching vocals by Bryan Ferry), "Time and space" (with swirling effects), and the closing hypnotic "History" with Will Young turning in a Jimmy Sommerville-style robotic falsetto to a slutty Disco backdrop. Awesome!
I like the sonic diversity on this album and though different from its predecessor, it is every bit as rich and good.
nice nice
ReplyDelete