Stealing of a Nation

Recorded without the DFA production team, who brought an organic, live feel to 2002's Gotham!, this is largely synthetic fare, characterised neatly by conga-accompanied four-to-the-floor disco numbers like "Party Crashers" and "State Of Alert" - think more Duran Duran than The Clash. It comes together best on "Absolute Affirmation", which hooks a hopeful chorus to rousing piano and some killer post-punk guitar scrawl. Elsewhere, occasionally the songs get lost within the dense percussive arrangements: "No Reaction" feels like little more than a bass line, and that's pilfered from the last album anyway. The groove never lets up, though, and that feels like the most important thing. --Louis Pattison