Groove Armada
Goodbye Country (Hello nightclub)

For those like me who are not frequenters of dance venues and even less so listeners, stumbling upon an album like this is undoubtedly a pleasure. Although the musical recipe produced, sampled, assembled, and rearranged by the English duo is not music loved by everyone, the two DJs Tom Findlay and Andy Cato, better known as Groove Armada, have crafted an excellent CD. Varied, versatile, inspired, and original, "Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub)" gets off to a good start even from the title. Indeed, it ranges from decidedly synthetic and danceable elements to more "musical", refined, and atmospheric moments. The musical journey of the groove armada is thus colored with hip-hop, dub, soul, funky, and the thumping bass beats beloved by summer dance hall DJs. Furthermore, the two have collaborated with various artists to self-contaminate and bring a creative vein to their genre that doesn't naturally belong to them.

The album opens with the thrilling hip/hop atmospheres of "Suntoucher" vocalized by Jeru the Damaja, a pleasant surprise. The first single is "Superstylin", an excellent blend of dance and Dub with vocals in pure Jamaican Style. The following "Drifted" is an electronic psychedelic trip, very soothing. The calming atmosphere becomes magical and delightful with "Little by Little", a song featuring the beautiful and intense voice of the living legend of Folk/Soul singer-songwriter Richie Havens. In the next piece "Fogma", the two DJs dive deeply into the most classic house. It continues with "My Friend", a hit song from a few summers ago that, nonetheless, when listened to again outside the radio bombardment, allows the listener to savor the voice of singer Rachel Brown. Last mention for "Edge Hill", a song featuring acoustic guitar, symphonic arrangements, and spacey sounds. Excellent.

Relaxed yet groovy atmospheres make this album a great product, in my opinion, one to have, along with very few others in its genre.