Back to Mine
Prior to the breakthrough success of their second album,Vertigo, Groove Armada (Tom Findlay and Andy Cato) were better known as successful club DJs, plying their trade in clubs the length and breadth of England, from Tangled in Manchester to the End in London. For their first mix CD they eschew uptempo dance-floor tunes in favor of a far more laid-back repertoire--think "At the River" rather than "If Everybody Looked the Same." It's an eclectic mixture of classic and modern--fromBarry WhitetoTears for Fears, stopping at all stations along the way. Unlike many of these kinds of compilations, there's not a duff track on here, and standouts likeAl Green's "Light My Fire" and Tony D's "Piano Grand" make the cherry on top.Vertigowas justifiably lauded as the Best Chill-Out Album at the U.K.'s Ministry Magazine Awards in 1999;Back to Mineis a worthy heir to the throne.--Helen Marquis