OK, this is probably the first music review of this album ever that did not open with a reference to Dirty Vegas' single "Days Go By," which is used in that oh-so-hip Mitsubishi Eclipse commercial. That same catchy club hit that, incidentally, will be stacked up right next to Darude's "Sandstorm" on the "How-in-Christ's-name-did-that-happen" shelf on which most popular songs now sit, has brought great deals of fame to this dance trio from -- where else -- London.
Though their music does not live up to their much-hyped individual backgrounds, each member brings definite talent to the table, or, as it were, tables. Paul Harris, an uber-respected DJ, stepped back from his residency at the London Milk Bar (former stomping ground of trance god Paul Oakenfold) to join percussionist and guitar player Steve Smith and studio engineer Ben Harris.
With their powers combined, they formed Dirty Vegas. The first results, however, are weird and will send fans of both electronica and alt-pop home with heads stuffed with confusion and slight delirium.
The fact is that any half-bright producer should know that such a mixed-genre album will miss on all fronts unless it is executed extremely well.
Right. Back to task -- the music.
With the exclusion of "Days Go By," which is a fun, instantly enjoyable Top 40 song, the disc opens with five songs varying in tempo and emotion that are really no different than standard club electronica. "Throwing Shapes" toys with a sinister, heavy industrial intro that comes through like a bad urban vampire movie. Luckily, the band experiments with some raw synth stabs and distorted guitars that break the trance.
Three songs on the disc -- "Candles," "All or Nothing" and "Alive" -- more or less totally scrap the techno vibe and launch into more soulful, vocal-driven cuts. "All or Nothing" especially showcases Smith's icy, pleasantly rough vocals. And, man, Smith really comes across sounding like Seal -- you know, the British guy with the scarred face who sang "Kiss From a Rose" from "Batman Returns."
"Alive" combines electronic beats and clear vocals for the only song on the album that fully illustrates the talents of all three members. The song itself is remarkably poppy, mixing Indian twangs, quick cymbal flourishes and a well-timed beat.
The rest of the album is hit-and-miss. We get a couple of tracks of nameless, faceless techno drivel that is the kind of stuff that would be played in any low-cover club that is not quite cool enough to draw the hip crowd. Even "Simple Things Part 2" shows real promise with a nice acoustic intro, but it is completely ruined by a shameless cover of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)."
