Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

This is sweet! I'm honestly having so much fun listening to the new self-titled album by Coburn! I'm normally not one to gush, but I seriously have nothing but good to say about this two man group comprised of DJ's Tim Healey and Pete Martin of London. Creating music that's half house music, half whatever sounds cool, these guys really know how to perk up one's ears.

The "whatever sounds cool" aspect of their music is awesome because it adds a diversity of styles to the album. Sometimes I hear a smattering of Beck's diverse and interesting repertoire in Coburn. The song Closer has the especially Beck-like funky sound and a man singing in that also Beck-like high, soulful voice. But they also pull from rap, atmospheric, rock music and also spoken word, mixing these genres in with their own style of catchy house beats.

Sometimes rock plays a large roll in their sound, like in the wonderfully dark and mysterious Edge of a Knife. This song is classic. I could see it fitting into one of Tarantino's future soundtracks. Conversely, a few of their songs feature rap. The tune Sick includes a few rappers. There's the tough British guy and then a sassy and humorous but truthful woman rapper whose voice somewhat reminds me of Missy Elliot. The lyrics are smart, they've got personality. After confessing "Sweetie I'm gay!", she revokes her comment and then says, "But you gotta hit my brain like you hit my G-spot." This is a girl who's trying to avoid a connection unless it's deep (very relatable!). The variety of styles is not just a people-pleaser. You can tell they are not afraid to try out the unconventional stuff.

What really stuck out to me was the song that I recognized from the strange 1970's children's "Gangster" film Bugsy Malone. Tallulah, is a cheesy but catchy song that was lip-sung by the young Jodie Foster in the film. But in Coburn's version it is wonderfully crooned by their accomplice Heidrun (if you're into Kylie Minogue you will love Heidrun's voice). She sings "Looneleeeeeeeeyyy, you don't have to be lonely!" in a childlike purr which is backed by some really driving beats. The result is a weird but cool song that's really fun to sing along with and shake your booty to (trust me).

Not unlike Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life, Coburn's Tallulah is a sort of children's song that just happens to work as something edgier and more adult. Perhaps the appeal to this style of thing is that it takes us back to our kiddy years. For those who've seen the movie, this track will surely have this nostalgic quality. This song is a great example of how Coburn takes smart risks with their music which end up surprising the listener.

This album is an incredibly fun listen. I'm truly grateful that it fell into my hands because I'm rarely surprised. Coburn has a big name in the U.K. but their music will surely surprise and delight even wider audiences now that they've put out this album. I'm sure this music will reach further into the U.S. and we'll eventually be hearing it on the dance floor. Thanks Coburn. Merry Christmas to me!