Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub)
Following a tide of critical acclaim and numerous appearances on every other chill-out compilation since records began, Groove Armada'sGoodbye Country (Hello Nightclub)has an awful lot to live up to.Vertigo, released in February 2000, was a phenomenal success, critically and commercially, spawning hits like "If Everybody Looked the Same" and the sun-drenched "At the River." Having found their niche in downbeat, Groove Armada explore the style even further onCountry. The opening track, "Suntoucher," is a slow-burning dub plate, featuringJeru The Damaja, which breaks out a supercool horn riff midway through. It's a fantastic start to the album, but it does begin to feel a little long as the song unspools. Even the slightly more uptempo numbers, like first single "Superstylin'" and "Fogma," don't rush into anything, building slowly before the bass hook and drums kick in with a lukewarm impact.Goodbye Countryis another musical triumph for Groove Armada, with every track as good as the one before. Still, it's a shame they veer so strongly in a downbeat direction, as they mostly leave behind the quirky house style that helped distinguish their earlier work.--David Trueman