Rush

Two years after he hit it big with "Sandstorm," Darude returns with Rush. The Finnish electronica wunderkind builds upon the dynamics of Before the Storm, raises the pressure, and fuels the flame for an electrifying dozen-track set. Darude's talent in keeping the energy at an elevated level without losing touch with the album's overall ambience is what makes him a star and an integral part of the new-millennium dance scene. His classy of mix of techno and trance is perfected into a fashionably slick spiral of synthesized heat. With that being said, Rush aims to find that fire. Unfortunately, Darude is inconsistent in keeping things funky. He's not exactly sonically adventurous. "Serendipidity" and "Obsession" are his closest attempts in experimenting with other loops or breaks. But basically he sticks with the formula that made "Sandstorm" and "Feel the Beat" so intoxicating and retools it for a overly swanky groove. Rush is for the Ibiza-craving pop kids who don't care to look beyond the exterior of electronic music. There's nothing wrong with that, but Darude is capable of doing better.