Amazon.co.uk Review
Not exactly dance-pop as commonly defined by Erasure or the Pet Shop Boys,
Dirty Vegas's self-titled album nonetheless fits into this genre. In fact, "trance-pop" is arguably the best definition, as it is likely the offspring of Madonna's
Ray of Light and Electronic's seminal
debut CD. Promising, yes, but the songs become rather indistinguishable from one another, mainly because the vocals--compressed and folky--lend a sameness to tracks that are otherwise diverse in tone and pace. About half the album really shines: "I Should Know" marries a thumping techno beat with a euphoric Disney-like wonderment; "7AM" boasts the best melody on the album; the instrumental "The Brazillian" showcases the songs' strength underneath the homogenizing vocals; and finally, "Days Go By", featured in a car commercial, mesmerizes with synthesized bongos and cosmic rhythmic brush strokes.
--Beth Massa
Description
For those who remember the days when electronica was known simply as disco, this collection of instrumental and vocal tracks should bring back some happy memories. If you think you've never heard Dirty Vegas before, they supply the music to the car commercial where the trendy girl is being driven around town (either looking for the next hot club or a parking space) doing various robotic movements to a spare electronic backing track. The rest of the set sounds similar; midtempo beats, infectious tunes, and some passably hip-hop-like vocals courtesy of this British trio's otherwise decidedly pop-oriented singer Steve Smith.
Undeniably commercial, Dirty Vegas' simple, uncluttered sound harks back to the early '90s, when electronica was in its infancy, from the motoring"The Brazilian" to the hypnotic "Ghosts", while the full version of the car-commercial song, a.k.a. "Days Go By", is pure manna from dancefloor heaven. Dirty Vegas provides electronica for all seasons, suitable for easy listening or grooving--proving that those ad agencies don't get the big bucks for nothing.