Fatboy Slim has not delivered an album as exciting as the full-length debut by
the Rogue Element in some years. Like
Mr. Cook,
the Rogue Element (born Ben Medford, a London-based producer/musician) makes dance music that has the melodic strength and visceral power of the best rock & roll.
Rogue Rock starts with a stunning pair of instant dancefloor fillers, "Let Me Breathe" and "My Style," that are among 2005's most infectious and intense dance tracks. That much of the rest of
Rogue Rock doesn't live up to the expectations set by the beginning isn't surprising, but the remaining eight tracks are a slightly mixed bag, with a little overlong pounding mixed in with appealing changeups like the down-tempo but weirdly tense "Sunrise Leaves Me Blind," a female-vocal track that's the closest to a true pop song here. This could be the start of something big.