Cascada: 'Evacuate The Dancefloor'

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It's tempting to pass Cascada off as a rather low-rent dance act who've built a career out of borrowing other people's songs, slapping some whopping great beats over them and reaping the rewards. But having made it to album number three, and with the group eager to "open up more creatively", is it time to take Cascada a bit more seriously? Judging by this latest effort, it's going to prove tricky.

Recent chart-topper 'Evacuate The Dancefloor' nicked a few tricks from Lady GaGa, giving Cascada their biggest ever hit in the process, but ironically it's when they stick to what they know that this album works best. 'Ready Or Not', a monumental throbathon that's a throwback to the cheesy floor-fillers of the 90s, offers an undeniably satisfying listen. Likewise, 'Hold On', 'Dangerous' and 'Everytime I Hear Your Name' might be as classy as Horler's stripey hairdo, but they pack in pulsating beats, swirling synths and vocoder effects in all the right places. Beyond these tracks, however, things get pretty bleak.

Heroically failing in the credibility stakes is the acoustic guitar-led 'Hold Your Hands Up', which sounds like a dodgy early Britney demo, and 'Breathless', a half-arsed attempt to mimic Kelly Clarkson's pop-rock sound. Worst of all is 'Draw The Line', a plodding piano ballad that's utterly lacking in emotional weight. Sad to say, Horler shows all the conviction of a session singer trilling her way through a demo while her mind focuses in on the pay cheque.

Given their previous success – this lot have apparently shifted eleven million records worldwide – it's hard not to wonder why Cascada didn't take an "If it ain't broke..." approach. Instead, they've cobbled together a lacklustre collection of tunes that's riddled with botched attempts to widen their fanbase. The musical equivalent of gorging on a kebab after a drunken Friday night out, Evacuate The Dancefloor offers a few satisfying moments, but ultimately leaves you feeling rather sick in the stomach.