SHAZAM

With fond remembrance for the days when acid house reigned supreme, 20-year veteran, pal of the DFA crew, and former resident DJ at the Save the Robots club Marcus Lambkin finally released his first album in 2010. Relying on scenesters like Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor, the Make-Up's Ian Svenonius, and LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy and Nancy Whang (also of Juan Maclean) to keep the songs relevant, From the Cradle to the Rave is overtly retro, dating directly from the mid-‘80s to early ‘90s. Elements of Technotronic, Bizarre Inc., Bananarama, and Yaz pop up amidst the hearty 4/4 kick, synth strings, digital Steinway, handclaps, and gurgling bass grooves, as well as the all-encompassing classic techno of Detroit, Chicago, and Germany. Appropriation is the name of the game, so there are few musical surprises in the 39-year-old's veteran beats. The main shocker is that Lambkin never tries to sound the least bit pertinent, but instead holds on stubbornly to yesteryear on this dated but fun throwback to 12" singles. ~ Jason Lymangrover, Rovi