Perky Dance Duo Goes Dark. Aw, Who Needs a Hug?

Mar 18, 2010 Boys With Guitars, CD Reviews
Posted by tdouglas woomble

Groove Armada
Black Light
Om Records. 11 Tracks.
Rating: 3½ stars (out of 5)

Why can’t musical artists just stick to what they do best?

It’s a reactionary, fogey-ish question—I picture one of the old coots in the Muppet Show balcony griping to the other. And sure, theoretically you want your favorite acts to take risks and stretch themselves. Without musical leaps of faith we wouldn’t have The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s, The Clash’s London Calling or Radiohead’s Kid A. But sometimes– like, say, when you’re suffering through Chris Cornell’s ill-fated collaboration with Timbaland or Lil Wayne’s awful rock Rebirth– you can’t help but ask yourself, what’s wrong with the way you usually sound?

I confess that was my first reaction upon hearing Groove Armada’s latest effort, Black Light. In the past, the veteran electronic duo of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay has been known mainly for two things: Lush, languid chill-out tunes such as the breakthrough 1997 hit “At the River,” and festive, accessible dance numbers, including “Superstylin’” and “I See You Baby.” The London pair’s best album, 2007’s Soundboy Rock, was a wild mix of both styles. Careening from the sleek elegance of “Paris” to the randy rap of “The Girls Say” to the reggaeton bounce of “Get Down,” it was the least cohesive, most fun party record in ages.

Black Light, by contrast, is consistently moody– the party it would play best at is an angst ball for emo kids. Yes, in a bid to hold on to club scene relevance, or perhaps simply because Cato and Findlay grew bored with happy, one of electronic music’s most feel-good acts has gone dark on us. Initially, the seismic shift is jarring and not quite convincing. There are plenty of bands who work the kind of brooding dance-rock angle GA is attempting here with more authority, Editors and Metric to name two. Soon, though, you realize the melancholy vibe is just a veneer, and that structurally Black Light is built on the easy-to-grasp hooks that Cato and Findlay have long delivered.

Once again the duo employs an eclectic array of guest vocalists to front the tracks. U.K. Pop Idol winner Will Young is featured on the haunting Bronksi Beat knock-off “History,” though his distinctive high, clear tenor is obscured by clouds of reverb. Legendary smoothie Bryan Ferry lends his cool-daddy croon to “Shameless,” a decadent disco interlude that gets by mostly on style, but what style it is! And Empire of the Sun’s Nick Littlemore graces four tracks with his nasal, MGMT-like croak, giving the proceedings a bit of indie-rock cred.

But it’s two little-known female vocalists who steal the show. Jessica Larrabee, of the indie outfit She Keeps Bees—hey, don’t ask me– is the solid center of the should-be-a-hit empowerment anthem “I Won’t Kneel.” (Think “I Will Survive” with tattoos and a nose piercing.) London singer-songwriter SaintSaviour’s emotive wail gets showcased on Black Light’s two finest tracks: “Look Me in the Eye Sister” brims with the big drama of an old Siouxsie and the Banshees chestnut, while “Paper Romance,” a duet with singer Ben Duffy of the British electronic trio Fenech-Soler, has the makings of a chant-along club classic. Such encouraging highlights should make fans less anxious about following Groove Armada down this new, dimly lit path. Even fogeyish fans like yours truly.