Album Reviews

In his first commercial release since 2005's folk-laden Hotel ; Moby brings the eclectic Last Night . The album could be considered Moby's return to the high-tempo dance music, which brought about his late 1990s fame. Whereas Hotel explored the synergy (and sometimes lack of) between guitar-strumming light rock and bass heavy electronica, Last Night is pure dance. Moby does not lend his voice to the double album's 14 songs, but his cast of vocalists highlights his arranging skills.

Last Night does something that few dance records manage; it tells a story from song to song. As the liner notes explain, Moby arranged the tracks to relive the late night clubbing he and his late-high-school friends would experience in the early 1980s: taking a train from their native Connecticut into the Big Apple and sneaking into and out of the hottest clubs of the era. Each side of the album takes the listener on a musical rollercoaster: up-tempo dance, then rap and break beats, slowing down with sensual rhythms and culminating in near-trance on the final tracks.

However, the story has been told before. Many times before. The record brings almost no originality, save for the various vocalists and while they can sing (and rap for that matter) the lyrics are dull, bordering on boring. They lack expression, substance and content. Frankly, the most original tracks are on the D side of the double LP. Side D brings a trance edge with an ambient texture. The music flows more freely, resulting in more captivating music.

The sound is at best average. The press quality is good on the first disc, with reasonably quiet backgrounds and surface noise is restricted to only a handful of small pops for both sides. The music is electronic, so its reproduction is not very exciting, especially since even the deepest bass notes are not exactly depth charges. The second disc has noticeably more clicks and pops (at least my sample does), with sound quality to match disc one. It is also important to note that the record is heavy on the gain. The album, obviously recorded to be near 'club level,' has considerably more gain than the average record. The dynamic range has been squashed by heavy-handed use of compressors and limiters. The record is obviously mixed and mastered for the DJ who above all else, cares about sound pressure.

Overall, Moby's first commercial release in 3 years is a bit of a disappointment. Considering the vast talent he has displayed in the past, Last Night seems like it was thrown together too quickly. If you are a DJ, pick it up as you will find the beats and dance tracks useable. If you're a Moby fan, you should already have it. But if you're looking for a good record to introduce you to the world of dance music, or searching for Moby's best works, stay away from Last Night .