Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply AMAZING!, 25 May 2007
I can not properly express the way i feel about Groove Armada, and in particular this album, i can not think of another artist/artists that have progresseed this much throughout there albums, i have every album they have released so far and each one could be mistaken as coming from a different artist.
On Soundboy Rock, there are a couple of tracks that stay true to Armadas chill out laid back roots such as tracks heard on the classc Verigo but mjority of the album is very electro(ish) its hard to explain really what the style the album is, the title track is almots completly Dub style but with a nice modern edge, on the first listen it was my standout track.
Somehow though i think nearly every track has been my standout track at some point, which is something i have never experienced from any album!
the intro is sublime, but i cant explain why?? its just sets the album up perfectly and is the perfect length.
Get down the first single is ok but in my opinion the poorest track on the album, i think i would prefer just an instrumental version because the vocals annoy me. from here on though there is not a single second of the album that i would skip.
Most tracks are upbeat but the arrangment of the album is perfect with laid back tracks such as Paris and From the rooftops slotted in just to calm the album down just when needed. From the rooftops is such a beautiful track, it is instantly relaxing with it lazy piano and bass and featuring a simply georgeous slight vocal.
I do not want to say too much about each track but this album is amazing, i can not pick a standout track anymore, excluding the first single Get Down, they are all standout tracks in their own right.
I can not wait to see which style the boys are going to take their next album into.
In my opinion the best album of 2007 by a long long way, The Armada never fail to deliver, BUY IY NOW!!!
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great comeback album, but it won't blow you away, 9 May 2007
Even though this album is called "Soundboy Rock", Groove Armada have left behind the rockier more guitar-heavy sound of previous album "Lovebox" and replaced it with a more Ibiza- and beachy-friendly mix of arrangements.
As well as being less rocky than "Lovebox" it's not as laidback as their classic album "Vertigo" (famous for "At The River"), so what you end up with is an inbetween-y album, not quite distinctive enough in too many places.
The first single "Get Down" is not representative of the album, as "Get Down" and "Out Of Control" (featuring ex-Sugababe Mutya) are by far the toughest tracks here. Some of the others border on lounge music, and there's plenty of atmospheric house. "Lightsonic" shows that they can do electro. Other highlights are "Love Sweet Sound" and the ballad (no really) "What's Your Version?". It's certainly varied enough to keep you listening.
The 'special edition' has two extra tracks "Feel The Same" and "Hands Up", bringing it to a generous total of 17 tracks. The two bonus tracks are pretty good but not essential listening.
This is a decent comeback album for Groove Armada (who have said in reviews that when they released their "Best Of" album they expected that the band would then split up), but it won't blow you away.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A really good release, 30 May 2007
There's a big move to 80's-retro, clicky and 'Commodore 64 game soundtrack'-style sounds in a growing wave in the wide and wonderful world of Dance Music.
Much of this kind of music doesn't do anything for me at all. It's often barely tuneful, sometimes grating, and smacks of a sound that is going to date very quickly, once folk realise that isn't nothing short of annoying to listen to. It appears that underproduction is the new overproduction.
This album goes down that sonic avenue. But this album is different - it's a pleasure to listen to! They do allow big multitimbral sounds as well as minute '8-bit' waveforms. It is reminiscent of some of the better production values of the Nu Wave and Electric era in the early 80's, and a reason to reminiscence on quality music from my youth.
Some tracks stand out in both tunefulness and sound. Tracks 4, 6, 12, 15, 16 particularly so. That, for me, is alot of outstanding tracks on one album.
As the first reviewer here has said, it _is_ a grower. Listen to it once or twice, drop it for a week or two, and when you're in a good mood, pull it out again, pump up the volume - put the needle on the record
when the drum beats go like this.....
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