Counterfeit

(Moonshine)

Eminem says on his single ãWithout Me,ä ãNobody listens to Technoä ÷ and with mixed bag albums like Counterfeit, itâs really no wonder.

Cirrus is a four-piece electronica collective composed of DJ/bassist Aaron Carter (not the MTV kid), keyboardist/guitarist Stephen James Barry, drummer Jim Chaney and the diamond in the rough, vocalist Laura Derby. The album has some impressive tracks such as the spiraling lead off and LP-ending reprised ãBoomerang,ä in which Derby seems to morph from Bjšrk to Paula Cole to Shirley Manson in a single track. Derbyâs vocals compliment the albumâs tracks so well it almost sounds as if she is a computerized invention created specifically to aid the backing rhythms.

The album falters, however, when Cirrus decides to give Derby a break and let the others in the band have a crack at vocals.

Note to Cirrus: bad idea.

The worst results come in the form of the truly pace breaking ãDragon Lounge,ä which boasts rhyme skills so unimpressive that Will Smith would cringe in horror. Derby should cash in her chips while sheâs still got a few decent songs with these guys and pursue a solo career, because Cirrus canât decide what type of sound it wants to pursue and is squandering her time and talents.

Whether Slim Shadyâs statement is correct remains to be seen, but for the money, there is a whole lot of better electronica out there than Cirrus, unless your money is Counterfeit.