Changing their name from Cuba to Air Cuba for the full debut album, the duo kicks things out with Cross the Line, which first appeared as a single the previous year, and didn't look back. The song's mix of heavy beat, guitar and rap/reggae vocals courtesy of guest singer Mau earned the group comparisons to bands like Primal Scream and Death in Vegas -- a fair assessment, but the band brings its own style to things, however much synthesized from other groups. They have a great sense of dynamics throughout the album -- every has a big, full-bodied sound that steers away from then common 'big-beat' cliches for a thick, flowing rush. As is almost expected for such acts, guest vocalists and musicians appear throughout -- Mau does another turn later in the album on the harsh brood of Havana, while cult singer Shara Nelson relives her Massive Attack days to an extent on the string-swept pound of Black Island. Angie Brown, known for her wide range of dance cut spotlights, makes another deserved notch on her resume with jazzy but still pummeling Starshine. A quieter but no less successful pair-up occurs elsewhere -- Cuba member Bates had drummed for Chapterhouse for a while, a band who once invited in Slowdive's Rachel Goswell for a guest vocal turn. A decade later she does it again, taking time out from Mojave 3 for Winter Hill, mixing a clattering beat with a nicely mournful guitar/keyboard shade, extra brass and feedback where needed, and her fine singing. On their own, the duo are more than successful, if anything turning in a more interesting, complex effort than Death in Vegas themselves did on the contemporaneously-released Contino Sessions. The beats don't let up in their threatening, brooding way except for brief moments of calm like King of Kelty, while the combination of astute sampling, arrangements (piano, brass, whatever sets the tone best) and performance is near flawless. Check out the brawling Urban Light and the concluding blasts of Fiery Cross for particularly fine examples. ~ Ned Raggett, Rovi

1		Cross the Line
2		Devil's Rock
3		Black Island
4		King of Kelty
5		Starshine
6		Peak Flow
7		Winter Hill
8		Havana
9		Hail Mary
10		Urban Light
11		Foxy's Den
12		Fiery Cross

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