Last Night by Moby

Last Night by Moby is his open letter to the New York City dance music scene of the last 30 years: from disco, to hip hop, to house, to the rave scene he was so seminal in in the early 90s.
First of all its nice to hear Moby just letting down his non existent hair, and making some fun (if not disposable) dance music again, without trying so hard to be an arTISTE. This is more of a mood album...it works as an album in its entirety, rather than individual songs (other than the phenomenal Disco Lies)

And even better, Moby decides its best he let other people sing on his albums again. Wise move Moby! (though you just couldnt resist on Alice I guess!)

This is thoroughly a Moby album inside and out, drawing on his own 18 years of music making. You could easily call this album "Everything Is Play" because it does seem to be a melding of of Play and Everything is Wrong.
His old rave up piano tunes mix with his newer "found sample" technique.

Those classic Moby piano chords, string swells, his trademark bass and guitar playing. Its all here. And Unlike most "retro" album these days like say Confessions on a Dancefloor, Moby only need reference himself. Be proud of Moby for not jumping on to any dancetrend here... no pitch bendy D.Ramirez basslines.. no Booka Shade minimalism. He doesnt even bother to change the string sound on his synthesizer from song to song.

The album starts out nicely with a slow burn disco jam called Ooh Yeah with female vocalists that evoke both Blondie and Donna Summer's Love to Love You Baby on the breakdown.

I Love to Move In Here is another winner, with one of those Play/Everything Is Wrong hybrids I mention. Classic Moby house piano over a shuffling groove, with a sample of a woman singing "I Love To Move In Here" then a cool rap in the middle with that classic 90s house cliche "OH yeah OH yeah" in the background. A very moody, sexy track.

257.zero is a slice of disposable 90s house fun that could have easily been on Mobility.

Everyday Its 1989, full of 909 drums, house piano and diva whaling will make you think Mobys own Move or Everytime You Touch Me, but less effective.

Live For Tomorrow and Alice are textbook post Play moby.The former female soulful sample over slow breakbeats and lush string chords, the later Alice, sounds like some sort of Moby/Cypress Hill jam session. Moby warbles some singing but tis so distorted and only the chorus, letting the rappers take most of the song

Im In Love is more 90s dance throwback, with an anonymous female singer which refrain sounds dangerously close to Strict Machine by Goldfrapp

Disco Lies is the powerhouse of the album, and probably the best single he has put out since Play, and one of the best of his career. Funk disco, with a sassy diva spurning her lying lover, its great stuff.

The Stars is a rather disposable dance track that sounds like a Everything is Wrong B-Side

The album begins to go more into afterhours mode towards the end, with slow downtempo numbers like Degenerates, and Sweet Apocalypse that harken back to his underrated Ambient album

You might say youve heard it all before, and you probably have, but its nice to see Moby have a little fun and give us his best single in years.