Groove Armada

Smart move, Groove Armada. Following the lackluster Lovebox with Best Of gives dance music fans a chance to reassess the band and realize they've got plenty to offer past that dull album and their signature tune, "I See You Baby" (included here in it's best-known Fatboy Slim mix). Groove Armada are nothing if not incredibly diverse music fans who can groove, write catchy tunes, and know all the right people. Besides Fatboy's appearance, Neneh Cherry, Richie Havens, Nappy Roots, and pedal steel guitarist B.J. Cole are some of the perfectly picked folks who contribute. They're all purposeful additions to the band's sprawling sound, one that couples house music and downtempo's coolness with a pinch of jam band's hippie exuberance. Basically a no-frills, right-off-the-albums collection, Best Of has a near-perfect track selection with too many hits upfront being the only headscratcher (solved by a simple hit of the "shuffle" button). For newcomers, Best Of proves the band are so much more than their big hit and one of the smarter acts working in the realm of poppy house. For longtime fans, it makes the band's highlights easy to carry, cleans Lovebox's stale aftertaste from the palette, and whets the appetite for whatever is next. [In the U.K., Best Of was released in a limited edition including a DVD with promo videos and live footage from a concert in Brixton.] ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide