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"Evacuate the Dancefloor" by Cascada
Order the album in CD form from amazon.com

Less than 18 months ago, I reviewed in this space the then-new CD from Cascada, “Perfect Day.”  At the time, I lamented the similarity of the songs to the first album, and each other, while applauding the record label for removing a couple of bad remakes and replacing them with songs that showed promise by changing up the tempo and sound.

One gets the feeling they’ve caught on.

The prolific Cascada, made up of singer Natalie Horler and producers Manian and Yanou, is back again, this time with “Evacuate the Dancefloor,” the group's third LP released on the Robbins Entertainment label. This is a much more eclectic set of songs; this is an album that elevates the group to a new level.  There’s surprising room to move around in the standard Cascada template, as this album finally proves, but even so, they’ve stepped out of their comfort zone in a much bigger way, and it’s paid off beautifully.

As the lead single and kick-off track to the album of the same name, “Evacuate the Dancefloor” was recently their first number one hit in the UK, and is rising rapidly here in the states (entering the Top 40 of the iTunes downloads list as this is being written).  It’s easy to see why, as I explored briefly last issue: the track is a fun, upbeat romp with lyrics that, although are a bit on-the-surface, fit the song like a glove.  Horler remains in fine form, and it really gets the album going.  It doesn’t sound like anything they’ve done (although the obvious Lady GaGa comparisons have been coming for months), but shows an exciting new direction for the group.

“Dancefloor” sets the tone for a much more varied ride through the world of Cascada. Sure, there are tracks that cling to the initial Cascada sound.  “Ready or Not,” “Dangerous” and “What About Me” are standard Cascada tracks, but they fall at track 4, 8 and 10, respectively, meaning they’re not stacked together like they were previously, and hold their own in the Cascada oeuvre. The second track, “Hold On,” starts off with a subdued beat, and then flips the switch to that classic booming beat and chimes, but it’s an above-average song within that template, and the slower tempo on this track gives it a different vibe.

Beyond this, the formula is either tweaked much more drastically, or dumped completely in favor of something else.  And it’s in these tracks that I find the most fun being had, and the best selections of them all.

Rivalling “Dancefloor” for possibly the tightest track on the album is “Fever,” which lays on a heavier beat to much better effect than the window dressing of “Perfect Day;” here, it’s instrumental (for lack of a better term).  When you hit the point where she sings “Feels so good,” with the layered vocals and the key changes… there’s something quite satisfying about it, and the song is immaculate (if you’re willing to forgive the last 15 seconds, where they change the beat to something inferior as they wind down the song).

“Hold Your Hands Up” is a successful ballad; while there’s Candlelight Mixes galore in their career, this is the rare intentional ballad (like “Another You” on the first album) where Natalie gets a chance to shine vocally, and she acquits herself well.  (Fans of the Candlelight Mix style of ballad will find another likable track in “Draw the Line,” which oddly has no dance equivalent on the album.  Still, it’s a nice song.)

“Breathless” amps up the energy again, with a handclap beat that at times gives me this slightly nostalgic feel.  It’s another gorgeous song from them.

“Why You Had to Leave” is another fun song, with a relentless beat that drives the song and has some beautiful harmonies behind Horler. I also like “Everytime I Hear Your Name,” which reminds me during the chorus of Kim Sozzi’s enjoyable “Feel Your Love.”  It’s got that same slow chime/deep bass beat, but looking at the fact that it’s a subtle tweak on the Cascada sound, it seems like a natural progression.

It’s amazing how much stronger the entire collection feels compared to “Perfect Day.”  The songs are melodically stronger, easier to sing along to, and Horler doesn’t sound as rushed, helped greatly by the tempo being slowed down on many of the tracks.  This helps the entire package, and adds some much-needed variety to the proceedings.  This is the first time out of three albums I was able to successfully listen to the whole album, more than once in fact, without needing a break, and many times I found myself starting to sing along.

Dance music as a career is a challenge.  Cascada’s already beaten the odds in a way, hitting the Hot 100 a few times (most dance artists can’t reach it at all) and already being Robbins’ most prolific artist to date, being the first to release a third album on the label, especially so quickly.  But with this album, they’ve elevated themselves to a new level of quality. There’s no serious missteps on this album, nothing embarrassing or too repetitive, nothing subpar or half-baked, as usually happens by the end of a dance album. That bodes well for the continued success of the group in the future. While they’ve been providing entertaining singles for years now, this is the first time in three albums I can wholeheartedly recommend buying the album in full and listening start to finish.  Bravo, Cascada.