Albums

Calvin Harris - I Created Disco

Charlie Southwell 08/06/2007

Rating: 5/5

Many would advocate Calvin Harris as this year's novelty act. He has the cheesy pop singles, bass lines that make your feet unnervingly move closer to the dance floor, synths and clap-pads. Calvin, a shelf stacker no more, has brought back the disco genre that has fallen less popular despite the emerging nu-rave scene, all that with cheeky charisma and enthusiasm reminiscent of 'Glam Rock' champions The Darkness a couple of years ago. Upon listening to his album I have to disagree with those disbelievers, 'I Created Disco' is packed full of utterly danceable electro tunes, six or seven of which could easily find themselves as stand out tracks at club nights, if not singles.

Calvin's debut starts as it means to go on. Tongue in cheek, fixated on the fairer sex and encourages spontaneous bouncing with album opener 'Merrymaking' packing a brilliant bass line with vocal melodies that shine. Followed by stuttering synths in 'Colours' both tracks are electro-pop smash hits in waiting. Fashionista Harris claims that colours are the new black, and one has to agree that life is more fun wearing colours.

By now everyone has probably heard 80s and Girls, both of which were released as singles prior to his debut album, and both achieved top #10 chart placing in the UK. With a label behind him that has electronic artists like Groove Armada and Faithless (with whom Calvin has toured with extensively this year) and Indie outfits such as Kasabian, Kings of Leon and newcomers Mumm-ra. It's looking good for Harris and his live band, who are set to play the UK festival circuit this summer.

This album isn't arrogant or complacent, despite a distinct suggestion at a lack of choosiness with females. It starts off strong with 5 tracks that are worth singles made of them, and the end of the album doesn't relent. Both 'Vegas' and 'Disco Heat' are fantastic tracks. The latter almost proving the excitement as vocal howls blast the track through short breaks. 'I Created Disco' is an instrumental track [with a short speech] that just builds into a wondrous spectrum of audio; layered, punchy, fun and sounds incredibly similar to Gary Numan.

It doesn't stand on the shoulders of the three or four singles, like so many artists do these days. If you like pure adulterous fun, mixed with cheeky pop, without qualms about meaningful and deep lyrics, this is the album of the year for you. This is an album for parties, a guaranteed hit.