Groove Armada - Black Light (2010)

Review By Alexander Crowden

Listening to Groove Armada's brand new studio album, "Black Light", I can't help but feel I've got my money's worth. Before receiving this album I wouldn't particularly describe myself as a fan of their music, as I had only really heard those songs featuring on their greatest hits album.

GA start the album off strongly with Look Me in the Eye Sister. The song would be right at home on a mainstream rock band's latest offering. The vocals are nearly gender crossing, Jess Larrabee's (lead singer of She Keeps Bees) voice suits the reverb tinged guitars in the track well.

Australian music and dance/electronica fans will be pleased to find that Nick Littlemore of much loved (and successful) Empire of the Sun and Pnau collaborates with Tom Findlay and Andy Cato on four great tracks on this release. 

The first of which, Fall Silent, is a minimalist spacey sounding number with and etherial mood.

The closest thing to a chorus sees the tempo step up to sound more like a conventional GA track before returning to the default sound of the tune. 

Despite never before hearing Just For Tonight it already sounds like a song I heard ten years ago. Disregarding plagiarism, the London based lads have done well to create a track that feels so instantly familiar.

Pinpointing a reason for why its such an instant favourite on the album is hard, maybe because it is relaxing and Jess Larrabee sounds reminiscent of Scissor Sisters vocalist Jake Sheers.

If the mood was becoming slightly relaxed, Not Forgotten, proves that GA have not forgotten (excuse the pun) that they are primarily a dance/electronica duo that create music to pump people up. The second single is 'I Won't Kneel', is the first track to feature SaintSaviour.

The higher vocals really make it stand out from the previous four songs. The chorus is bouncy and uplifting without sounding like a club number.

Cleverly named Cards to Your Heart is one of the strongest tracks and again features Nick Littlemore. An inspired piano backing works in the electronica arrangement and manages to sound more natural than I've ever experienced before. 

This track lets the vocals really come to the forefront more so than most electronic music and that theme continues throughout the majority of the album.

Paper Romance is the latest single to be released at the time of writing, and it feels like an instant hit. It may merely be for the fact it would slot straight into Groove Armada's greatest hits track listing should they ever update it.

After giving the album an uninterrupted listen for the first time, it was the song that was stuck in my head with its catchy, "I don't wanna take a chance on your paper romance... anyway", becoming familiar sounds to those I worked with the next day.

Warsaw, the other single to be released thus far is white hot and despite its relatively late slot on the album is a huge highlight that just needs to be blasted from your speakers with the bass on eleven. With that said it still provides plenty of words to sing - nay, scream along to.

Overall the album has plenty of variation, incorporating bangers that would slot into the local DJ's next club set to relaxed numbers that could feature on one of those 'Chill Out Essentials' type compilations.

Highlights are very close together on Black Light, and while there's no track that will reach the hit status of I See You Baby, every song is a solid contributor in a very impressive new studio release from Groove Armada.

This album is perfect for putting on when sitting in a pool with a beverage, yet also will get you in the right mood before a big night out.

RATING: 4 out of 5

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