Daft Punk’s ‘Discovery’ is an order of shake

Spencer Patterson

Friday, April 15, 2005 | 8:36 a.m.

I can't dance, but Daft Punk's "Discovery" CD kind of makes me wish I could.

When I hear the second full-length album from French electronic duo Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, I can't help but nod my head and tap my feet.

Though my exhibitionism typically ends there, "Discovery" is recommended for anyone who really loves to shake it, be it on a nightclub dance floor or in the kitchen while preparing dinner.

The 2001 release ramps up the retro-disco beats of Daft Punk's much-heralded 1997 debut, "Homework."

This time, the music is unapologetically big and bouncy, recalling mirror balls and leisure suits. Call it cheesy if you must, but it's actually more a celebration of that which has been labeled as cheese.

Track after track, "Discovery" is loaded with in-your-face hooks, from shamelessly upbeat leadoff cut "One More Time" to the cartoonish "Digital Love" to funk-meets-techno creation "Harder, Bigger, Stronger, Faster."

Vocals are often delivered via vocoder, a device that turns voices robotic and otherworldy. Despite that synthetic effect, though, the disc avoids turning cold or sterile, thanks in part to the presence of sweeping instrumental pieces such as "Nightvision" and "Veridis Quo."

Lyrically, "Discovery" delivers simplicity, pleasant words and phrases that complement the loops and whirling sounds around them.

An example from "Digital Love": "Don't stop, come a little closer / As we jam, the rhythm gets stronger / There's nothing wrong, with just a little little fun / We were dancing all night long."

The back half of the album doesn't quite live up to its demonically peppy start, but it's hard to imagine anything that really could.

Regardless, there's plenty to discover on Daft Punk's second album. Whether you choose to bust a move in celebration is up to you.

Artist: Daft Punk.

Title: "Discovery."

Year of release: 2001 (Virgin Records).

Tracklisting: "One More Time," "Aerodynamic," "Digital Love," "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger," "Crescendolls," "Nightvision," "Superheroes," "High Life," "Something About Us," "Voyager," "Veridis Quo," "Short Circuit," "Face to Face," "Too Long."