Western Dream [Bonus DVD]

Roughly a year after the club success of "Love Generation," another in a string of such hits by French house producer Christophe le Friant, Tommy Boy released a full-length Bob Sinclar album, Western Dream, comprised of numerous other similarly styled songs. To clarify any potential confusion, Bob Sinclar is a nom de plume of le Friant, and though the producer is French, all his songs here are sung in English. "Love Generation" remains the highlight, despite all the new productions. Driven by an aggressively strummed acoustic guitar, the song features Gary "Nesta" Pine of the Wailers on lead vocals, thereby giving this otherwise straightforward club track a more universal appeal. Its feel-good lyrics about how love can make the world a better place are typical of Western Dream, an album filled with such sentiment, every song carried by a lead vocal. The production work of le Friant is almost secondary throughout, although appealing enough and surely energetic. So the best songs here tend to be the ones graced with the best vocals, like "World, Hold On," sung wonderfully by Steve Edwards. ~ Jason Birchmeier