Greatest Hits - Groove Armada Album Review

Groove Armada

Album Review

Groove Armada shake some ass, then chill out.

To release another compilation in three years is pushing it. And a bit greedy. 2004 saw the 'best of', their last on Pepper Records, and now we get Greatest Hits, with songs from their fifth album Soundboy Rock - Song For Mutya, Get Down and Love Sweet Sound. One thing you have to admire Groove Armada's Andy Cato (real name Andrew Cocup) and Tom Findlay for, is their unpredictability (and ever-changing lead singers) with wide ranging songs (electronica, house,trip hop, chilled) such as their magnificent jazzy sampling of Patti Page's classic Old Cape Cod, At The River, heard on M&S's Food UK campaign to the big beat stylings of I See You Baby, again featured on the car ad for Renault Megane. Then there's the clubber's delight, the funk-fulled Superstylin', a Grammy nomination. GA weren't an instant hit, as If Everybody Looked The Same proved, peaking at 25 in 1999, though it did show great promise by the duo. At The River faired a little better later the same year, following a brilliant showing at Glastonbury. A remix of 1999's by Fatboy Slim of I See You Baby featuring Gram'ma Funk made them a household name. So far, singles-wise, 2007 has been their best year with two top ten hits - Get Down, Song 4 Mutya, featuring ex-Sugababe Mutya Buena on vocals, number 9 and 8 respectively. 2001's My Friend is one of their finest moments, sounding much like Morcheeba at their sublimest. Love Sweet Sound is this year's most soulful disco track by a mile. The deceptive ambient opening of Lightsonic masks the full-on eventual beats per minutes that unfold. Little By Little is the kind of gentle rambler Jamiroquai can drop into their predominantly funk songbook.

File under : Must have.

Elly Roberts