Lionrock

The second album from Justin Robertson's crew of British DJ renegades (this time with some live guitars and an MC tossed into the frantic mix) covers a lot of electronica ground on its 14 songs, sticking pretty close to classic, surging house through the stretch. And while quite a bit of it is incidental -- the vocals are simply layered atop the wildly stammering instrumental tracks, just as sampled dialogue was randomly piled onto An Instinct for Detection -- the best cuts on City Delirious (particularly the block-party electro-ska of "Rude Boy Rock") find as much inspiration on the sweaty dancefloor as they do in the gimmick-strewn studio in which the album was made. Lionrock's big beat is also more accessible this time around, trading in some of the more obscure musical references of the past for actual, timely tuned rhythms. [The CD was also released with a bonus track.] ~ Michael Gallucci, All Music Guide