A British DJ and producer of gathering renown, Deluxe has been a comer on the club circuit since at least 2002, when he introduced "It Just Won't Do," a merry mélange of screwy sound effects, persistent rhythms and echoey la-la-las courtesy of the charming Sam Obernik. Even more irresistible is "Less Talk, More Action!," Deluxe's follow-up, which features surprisingly loose-limbed percussion, a tantalizing melody and cocksure vocals by Terra Deva, who comes across like a 21st-century Shirley Bassey. "Heavy Weather" whips up a whirlwind of rhythm guitar, muted synth horns and emoting by Obernik; "2 Kool 4 Skool" is an instant party, complete with crowd racket; and "Mundaya (The Boy)" returns to the days when chill-out was still cool.
Deluxe's debut isn't meant to be life-changing. Rather, it's the sort of entertainment-first offering that even people incapable of doing the Macarena can enjoy. The haters won't be happy, but the rest of us will be.
