Drive

Like their debut album, 2001's It's Not the Drug, Peplab's sophomore effort was self-released in the band's native Holland before being picked up for distribution a couple of years later in the U.S. This means that the grooves are a bit old, but since they sound deliberately dated to begin with that's no problem. Peplab deals simultaneously in several different retro-dance styles, from the electric disco of "Lucky Lucky" to curiosities like "Beautiful People," which combines a chiming, Byrds-y guitar hook with a seasick house beat and whimsical falsetto vocoder effects. At its worst, in fact, this album sounds like nothing more than a collage of hip retro referents and secret dance-music handshakes — "Mt. Psychorock," for example, sounds more like a class project from Electronica High School than an actual song. But for the most part Peplab overcomes that tendency by sheer force of hooks, overcoming your resistance by making it much more fun to just give in and dance than to maintain a critical distance. That's a genuine accomplishment, all right, but it's also a serious gamble, which Peplab will do well to keep in mind. Recommended. [The 2004 promo version included bonus remixes of "Wondergirl."]