Music: Sneaky Sound System

Oh I've needed an album which I can just groove to for quite some time. Sure, Daft Punk's "Alive 2007" is packed full of energy, but really it's just new versions of songs that fans of the group have heard for a few years already. Out of nowhere I was recommended a self titled album by Sneaky Sound System and decided to give them a go. The album was released originally way back in August of 06, and I had heard a few clips of songs from it in various online videos and such, but I hadn't been able to get a good listen of the entire album. Then, this past December, a limited edition version of the album was released with new remixes of Sneaky Sound System's (SSS) works. "Remix" is a word that draws me like a moth to the flame, so I decided to fork over my wallet and take a spin.

This album is, at times, just really damn fun. There is a common vein through every song that has a disco-esque vibe to it, especially in songs like "UFO" or "I Love It" that keeps the level of energy high throughout the album. There is a pretty heavy emphasis on the bass throughout as well, really hitting home the point that this is an album that is supposed to be danced to. A few of the songs actually made me thing of "Lights" by the Scissor Sisters for some reason, though SSS's work is much more techno-pop-ish.

This album is very, VERY much a visit to the past, screaming carefree 80's at every moment that it can, but also takes the modern pop genre into consideration when it comes to its lyrical forms. The female lead singer, who calls herself Miss Connie apparently, does a great job, but the album does at times taper off, especially in songs where she isn't prominently featured such as "You're Hot". "Hip Hip Hooray" seems like a wrench thrown into the mix just to suddenly cause unneeded chaos, and some of the songs just seem lacking in overall quality as though the group suddenly gave up and decided to work on the next track.

Of the remixes offered with this version of the album, the Stylaz Fuego Remix of "UFO" and the Tonite Only Remix of "Pictures" stand out as the strong support of this half of the album. The remixes offer a bit of a different taste of the original works that may draw in a different audience, which is good since the remixes are all of the best works off of the original album. the Bag Raiders mix of "Hip Hip Hooray" really gives this version of the song an edge. The remixes really save this album from the brink of utter forgotten-ness.

Score: 7.7 out of 10. The remixes are fun and there are a few songs amongst the main chunk of the album that are good, but too many of the songs seem like things that I have heard before that I just cant give this a higher score. The album does have one common vein in style, but at the same time SSS just cant seem to define exactly what kind of group they are lyrically. The lyrics make the songs change styles constantly, which is too confusing and will turn off many listeners.