Firstly, lets clear one thing…The Black Eyed Peas are not splitting up.  However the title of their current album, ‘The E.N.D.’ would have you think otherwise.  In fact, the album title is an acronym for the Energy Never Dies, and this LP certainly affirms that philosophy.

Moving away from their distinctive pop-hop sound (did I just coin a new phrase there? Well, I mean pop/rnb/hip-hop sound), the striking thing about the The E.N.D. is how technological it sounds.  The vast majority of the tracks have an electro-pop feel; plenty of head bopping beats layered with synth hooks and copious amounts of auto-tuning.

"Rock that Body" already sounds like an instant classic dance tune, even with the chipmunk vocals from Fergie (aided by auto-tune…one assumes).  Forthcoming single, "Meet Me Halfway" showcases Fergie’s real voice, again, over an electro beat and synth chords while summer smash, "I Gotta Feeling", is as close to pure pop as this album gets.

The whole album is cleverly merged as one giant track and really hits all your senses, shifting from electro dance, to electro pop, to rnb-electro via the odd hint of an electro ballad!  You get the impression that this album is Will.I.Am’s wet dream.  The aptly named track "Electric City" is a hustle and bustle of pure electro madness.  Not since Timberland’s "Shock Value" have I heard pop-production as slick as this.  The remarkable thing is that it all sounds completely effortless, even improvised.

"Showdown" is the stand-out track of the album; with infinite catchy hooks and lyrics that embed themselves in your brain, this song sums up how infectious "The E.N.D." is.

And just when you thought the Peas had flooded your mind with as much musical magic as you can handle, they top it off by throwing in a harmonica.

Best record this group have recorded yet!

9/10