Eclecticism is a perennial problem in dance music, indeed one coded into the notion of "dance music" itself. Would that be a genre in its own right, or a coalition of separate styles which mix at artists' own risk? The practical grapplers with this issue have tended to be DJs, but in Britain especially there's a tradition of prominent acts who've opted for a "big-tent" approach to music-making, cleaving to no particular subgenre and crafting albums which roam freely through clubland and beyond in search of anything that might catch a few ears. 808 State used to do it well, Leftfield proved there was a big market for it, and Basement Jaxx pushed it to a delirious artistic peak.
And Groove Armada? They prove the perils of the big-tent approach. Soundboy Rock is the fifth eclectic album in the duo's eclectic ten-year career, during which they've sold plenty of (highly eclectic) records and the sum total of their pop culture impact has been a car advert about waggling bottoms. And most of the people who rightly hate "I See You Baby (Shakin That Ass)" wouldn't even know it was by them.
Thankfully, Soundboy Rock offers two mighty shots at redemption. Messy first single "Get Down" is carried by the bubble-and-squeak energy of long-lost grime MC Lady Stush: it's so good to hear her squeal and cackle again that you don't really worry where the hook is. Besides, the glorious follow-up, "Song 4 Mutya (Out Of Control)", has all the hook you'll need-- an eighties pop fantasia where New Order collaborate with Prince to soundtrack Mutya Buena's ex-directed anger.
"Song 4 Mutya" is inspired, but the rest of Soundboy Rock gives a truer picture of Groove Armada's talents and limitations. Nothing here irritates or even displeases, but almost every track is a stylistic workout missing the killer idea that would make it vital. Candi Staton turns up for a Chicago house tribute, "Love Sweet Sound", which gets the style's spacey noises right but not its sensual or spiritual desperation. On the other hand, The Rakes' Alan Donohue MCing about polar bears dying on the indie-dub "See What You Get" is a lot less awful than that summary suggests: almost everything on this album tends gently towards the middle.
The group seem happiest here when they're pastiching their own former triumphs. "From the Rooftops" and "Paris" revisit the group's chill-out roots (and the roots of Chill Out-- both tracks borrow samples from the KLF's seminal album), swaddling pretty melodies in echo to create a genuinely comfortable comfort zone. "Lightsonic" is a cousin of former hit "Superstylin'", and the combination of balearic keyboards, big beat and cornball toasting is as stupidly uplifting this time as last.
Groove Armada have touted Soundboy Rock as their best album, and they're probably right, because they've excised the smarmy or irritating elements of their earlier work. The record was inspired by the atmosphere of Lovebox, the London festival they curate and DJ at, and it certainly proves that they know what great dance music sounds like: it also suggests they lack the spark to consistently make it themselves.
