CD Review: Moby's 'Last Night'

Activist. Faithful. Blogger. Vegan.

Let's not forget DJ.

Moby's beliefs might turn off some (He's been called a "Jesus Freak" in Britain.), but he remains a DJ at heart, and his sixth studio effort, "Last Night," is free of politicizing and serves as a joyous ode to his love affair with the New York club scene.

Conceptually, the disc boasts the ebb and flow of a night out in the Big Apple circa 1981-91: anticipation, sweaty euphoria on the dance floor, stolen glances at a potential paramour, the haze of the wee hours and the dew-drenched dawn of the next day's recovery.

Individually, each track contains its own charms -- and Moby channels the finest moments of clubbing's evolution, from the dark new wave synth of The Human League and New Order to the sun-drenched rave of early Primal Scream and the Manchester scene, along with some R&B, gospel, Euro disco and underground hip-hop deftly thrown into the mix.

The synth-heavy "Ooo Yeah" sets the mood before sliding into the chill old school of "I Love to Move in Here" (with an assist from MC Grandmaster Caz).

From there he moves with precision through an onslaught of dance-ready tunes, including the quirky and fun "257.zero," "I'm in Love" and "Stars," and the edgy hip-hop of "Alice." His typical atmospheric touch arrives during the "comedown" half of the disc, culminating in a gloomy jazz fade.

Putting his own stamp on all the facets of electronica that helped define his style, "Last Night" is Moby's strongest effort since 1999's smash "Play" and easily his most accessible.

If it is true that "nobody listens to techno" -- Moby remains proof that more of us should.