Simian Mobile Disco

After the release of 2007's Attack Decay Sustain Release, Simian Mobile Disco were heralded as champions of sorts, making accessible electronic music for those who don't necessarily like the genre. For their second full-length, SMD (producers James Ford and Jas Shaw) have released Temporary Pleasure, aptly titled because that's exactly what it provides, with an emphasis on the temporary. With the amount of guest vocals and collaborations coursing through the album, heightened expectations wouldn't be unreasonable for a disc that clearly shows its divide between electro bangers and mainstream pop. But for all of its additional talent, with guests including Beth Ditto (the Gossip), Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) and Telepathe, among others, Temporary Pleasure feels forced and vacant. "Cream Dream" opens the disc with retro synth pop pulses, setting a less than impressive tone for the album. Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor lays down vocals on "Bad Blood," a listless track with little to it that sounds much too much like a discarded track from his day job. Of the three "dance floor bangers" thrown into the mix, "Ambulance" is the only track with enough grit and glitches to keep you dancing, if only temporarily.