Vertigo

While the tempos on Groove Armada's Vertigo vary from Fatboy Slim-ish party rockers to Air-like downtempo ambient grooves, the songs themselves are downright simple, sample-laden, and sugary sweet. And though those adjectives would be fightin' words in many contemporary dance subgenres, it is not meant as anything other than praise here. The sophomore full-length by London duo Tom Findlay and Andy Cato is unabashedly pleasurable--this is straightforward, hook-heavy stuff, aimed perfectly for the airwaves. Entire six-minute songs are crafted from just a few samples. This approach may strike some as lazy, but the music is invitingly melodic, modern dance-pop, and you'll want to hear the songs over and over, especially the uptempo "I See You Baby" and the mellow "At the River." --Mike McGonigal