Right of Way (Deluxe Edition)

Ten years into his career, Ferry Corsten finally releases a full-length under his own name. While a handful of the tracks are previously released and nearly have skin cancer from all the exposure, Corsten turns Right of Way into a hang-together album with some excellent new material. Proven hits "Punk" and the nearly as good "Rock Your Body, Rock" are loud, brash, and inescapably catchy, but the softer and more cerebral side of Corsten gets some airtime with dreamy new material. "Kyoto" and the closing "In My Dreams" are the best examples of this otherworldly Corsten; both being lighter than his work as System F and about three times as rewarding. The man's great at choosing vocalists as well. The gutsy Esmee Bor Stotijn sounds absolutely in charge on "It's Time," and Shelly Harland's two tracks add a sweet, ethereal deepness to the album. A couple lesser tracks could have been weeded out and one wishes the storming single "Indigo" could have been included. Otherwise Right of Way is one of those rare, almost-solid trance albums with plenty of good ideas past the singles. [Right of Way was released in Japan with bonus mixes of "Punk" and "Rock Your Boys, Rock."]