:: Lovebox

Groove Armada

You can usually expect something refreshing and sometimes unorthodox from Groove Armada. Their previous work has been imaginative and some of the best music I’ve heard in the last five years. “Lovebox” is another collection of diverse beats, rock ska, and house. Love box is named after a club night that the guys have run. The funky guitar of “Purple Haze” (not the Jimi Hendrix song incidentally), the rocking chorus and cool bassline of “Madder” epitomise this new strength in the music. A more traditional house sound exists on the title track. Neneh Cherry makes a welcome return as a guest vocalist. She truly has a magnificent voice and brings it all out in “Think Twice”. “Easy” features another fine female vocalist in Sunshine Anderson. This one has a real classic house feel. The closing track “But I Feel Good” sums up the feeling on another favourable excursion in a ska-laced theme. Overall, it’s an interesting step forward by Groove Armada and it’s an enjoyable, infectious effort.