Alexander Ridha's first full-length as
Boys Noize proves he's capable of producing big hearty electronic beats in the vein of
the Crystal Method and especially
Daft Punk, if the opener, "& Down," and the smooth, stellar "Don't Believe the Hype" are any indications. Weaving a mix of melodic electronica with classic house, the momentum continues with "Lava Lava" but tends to sag with the rather formulaic, bleep-heavy "The Battery." Fortunately, "Oh!," with its talk-box intro, gets the album back on track, preceding the first true highlight: the punchy, infectious "Let's Buy Happiness," which resembles work by
the Chemical Brothers. Another highlight is the adventurous "Vergiftet," which relies on a rock-solid foundation for its success. Other portions of the record are solid but not memorable, a good example being the retro-tinged, ambient-disco flavor of "Shine Shine." Although "Frau" sounds like a blend of
Kraftwerk and a sedated
Rammstein,
Boys Noize once again strikes pay dirt with a remix of "My Moon My Man," featuring
Feist. ~ Jason MacNeil