Although the duo
LMFAO boasted Euro-pop synths and unmissable riffs well before their hit with
David Guetta, "Gettin' Over You," it definitely didn't hurt to be featured on a world-wide smash that spent quality time at number one in France and the U.K. Their second album, Sorry for Party Rocking, arrives at exactly the right time and includes exactly the right mix of energy and humor, plus a surprising amount of sincerity. Before its release, the trailer single, "Party Rock Anthem," had already nested high in the charts of multiple countries, and its presence here confirms that
LMFAO are no longer a novelty act. Granted, they lead with humor -- the intro "Rock the Beat II" and the title track -- but from there, they focus more on nightclub sloganeering and high-life living, with tracks like "Champagne Showers," "Best Night," and "All Night Long." If any of this sounds like
the Black Eyed Peas, there's a good reason; aside from having
will.i.am onboard as executive producer (again), the duo are definitely on the trail of soundtracking your best club night out, and considering the parade of hits (and sacks of money) that
the Black Eyed Peas have produced, it's no wonder. The interesting part is that
LMFAO are much better at this type of thing than
BEP themselves. First, they replace blind enthusiasm with a wink of an eye that none of this music business is serious. (Dancing is supposed to be fun, right?) Second, the clumsy delivery of
BEP is radically improved by
Sky Blu and
Red-Foo's innate ability to write good anthems -- and with the lyrics to carry them over. And despite a few features for high rollers, they keep the focus on themselves, even carrying "Take It to the Hole" for a few minutes before
Busta Rhymes arrives with his guest spot. All in all, it's clear that chart-driven pop circa the second decade of the millennium rarely gets much better than
LMFAO here. ~ John Bush