The Best Carnival Album... Ever! brings together some of the early-2000s' best popular dance songs into one powerful collection. The emphasis here is on songs popular in the U.K. rather than the U.S., so expect lots of 2-step and garage. Plus, there aren't any trance-style songs here, so don't worry about having to endure any ATB or Paul Van Dyk. The mix moves along surprisingly well considering the emphasis on nothing but the biggest hits. It's a fun, feel-good mix of music highlighted by songs like Shaggy's "Bombastic," Lou Bega's "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...)," Bob Marley's "Sun Is Shining," Basement Jaxx's "Bingo Bango," Inner City's "Good Life (Buena Vida)," the B15 Project's "Girls Like Us," and UB40's "Red Red Wine." The occasional appearance of older, unexpected classics like "Bombastic" and "Red Red Wine" really adds a lot to this overall excellent collection. If you like popular dance music, particularly the sort of garage-style dance-pop popular in the U.K., you can't help but adore this double-disc collection. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide