Steady As He Goes

Can a dance music CD ever be more than a nostalgic clubbing souvenir? Coming from someone who acquired the electronic persuasion over headphones rather than Red Bulls ’n’ vodkas, absolutely. When given the same degree of care and emotion, 74 minutes of 130 BPM can resonate in the mind just as well as the bassbins. With Elements of Life, DJ Tiesto hopes to do just that using a net wide enough to capture the unacquainted as well as the discoball devotee.Can this studio album hold its own against the inventive frontrunners of rock and hip-hop, and potentially ensnare a bit of their audience? Probably not. What Elements of Life does provide is a solid effort at packing a CD with melodic and energetic club hits that, while not really surprising anyone, obligingly delivers the goods fit for a long drive, run, or your choice of cardiovascular activity.

The ambient haze of “Ten Seconds Before Sunrise” drifts into the first of the album’s many four-on-the-floor anthems, and the party don’t stop henceforth. “Bright Morningstar” and “Driving to Heaven” expose a more contemplative Tiesto, while “Elements of Life” and “Carpe Noctum” returns us to his cyber forte of arena-ready trance riffs. “Break My Fall” and “Sweet Things” are likeable and comfortable, which means Elements of Life offers new listeners nothing distinct and old fans little beyond what they already know.

Elements of Life may not ascend from the realm of a dance album to a full-fledged “music” album. However, taken as the latest from a talent who strives to reach as many fans as possible without alienating his veterans, it gets the job done. While most effectively served on a megawatt sound system, Tiesto proves that he can package the best of his craft onto a 74-minute keepsake.