Guetta Blaster

The first rule of house music is functionality, and celebrated French DJ David Guetta is a master of dancefloor pragmatics. The second rule is hooks, and he's got those as well -- in fact, his music is unusually interesting for the genre and generally as much fun to listen to as it is to dance to. His second album is being released in the U.S. on the heels of significant success in his home country, and for its Stateside release is enhanced by the addition of several bonus tracks including his hit "Love Don't Let Me Go" (in a mash-up mix by the Egg). The guest vocalist on seven tracks is the golden-throated Chris Willis, and other featured guests include the Stereo MC's (on the dark and almost industrial-sounding "Open Your Eyes") and Jamaican vocalist Miss Thing (on the weird but ultimately rather uninteresting "Last Train"). Willis is responsible for most of the album's highlight tracks, including the downright funky "Stay," the brilliant "Love Don't Let Me Go" (which is more than slightly evocative of Erasure at their best) and "Just a Little More Love," another massive French hit that is a welcome addition to the U.S. version of this release. The punk-kitsch sound of "Money" is curious but fun, and Paul Oakenfold's mix of "The World Is Mine" ends things on a powerfully funky note. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson