Play Weekend Players all Weekend

I first heard about 1/2 of Groove Armada (Andy Cato) pairing up with UK singer Rachel Foster on LA based radio station KCRW and 2 of their songs "Into the Sun" and "21st Century" on web-based radio station FlashFM.

Although the upbeat tracks were good enough to warrant air time, it's the decidely smoother chill-out tracks like Jericho, the title track Pursuit of Happiness and I'll Be There (Soul Mekanik Remix) that capture what WP are trying to accomplish. It's the laid-back-lazy-mellow-Sunday-afternoon-sunny-day-beer-in-hand-lying-on-the-porch atmosphere that many try to attain but few capture so emotionally.

This is a strong debut from Cato and Foster and one that got a lot of attention from the DJs at KCRW (who I hold in high esteem). It's unfortunate though that it followed Zero 7's Simple Things a year and a half after it's release. The comparisons can't quite beat Zero 7's offerings and aren't as sonically pleasing. If Pursuit of Happiness had been released just before, it would have received a way more positive response and I think momentum would have carried it even into the mainstream, which is what eventually happened with Zero 7.

I can't wait for their next release and this CD gets quite a few hours in my radio. One thing for sure is that this type of eclectic genre of electronic music is rapidly gaining acceptance and more artists like these will be appearing soon (I hope). Overall I'd give this a 8 out of 10. Do yourself a favor and get both Weekend Players and Zero 7 and you'll be blissed out for the whole week.