Listen To Your Heart (Feat. EDMEE)

In 2005, the Belgian dance/pop group D.H.T. (singer Edmee Daenen and DJ Da Rick; various producers) had a surprise US club hit with their house-like update of Roxette's Listen to Your Heart. D.H.T. had many singles released overseas before releasing this record in the United States, including a Euro-dance cover of the 1978 Sniff 'n' the Tears gem Driver's Seat, released under the moniker Dared. Many of their previous singles followed the trend of the hard-house intense style. With the momentum generated by the single, D.H.T.'s album of the same name cracked the Billboard charts, a rarity for European dance acts. One listen to the title song, and the appeal is clear – this is dramatic, driving techno-pop that crowds scream for in clubs across the world. Although the surging keyboards and locomotive beats are key to D.H.T.'s sound, the singing of Edmee is the secret weapon here. Though her voice expertly carries the upbeat numbers, Edmee really gets a chance to shine on Listen to Your Heart's piano ballads, particularly the restless I Go Crazy and the yearning My Dream.

Listen to Your Heart the album balances dance numbers and ballads, covers and original songs, and happy and sad about as well as any light-as-a-feather pop act can. While they may be light, D.H.T. put such an elegant and slick sheen on their music it's forgivable for anyone who doesn't fit the definition of "jaded," plus their oddball choice of covers turns this seemingly shallow act into something more interesting. Their chamber music take on Paul Davis' soft rock favorite I Go Crazy is warm and tasteful while their camp-free version of Janis Ian's At Seventeen works much better than it should. How they found I Can't Be Your Friend – a modest hit by country act Rushlow – is a head-scratcher, but that they turn Sniff 'n' the Tears' Driver's Seat into a ponderous ballad instead of the floor-filling anthem they're obviously capable of is puzzling and the most misguided moment on the album. Exciting and fun original songs like the vacation getaway Sun make up for it, along with the neat, clean, perfect production and singer Edmee's exceptional voice.

Euro-dance covers of pop tunes usually don't make much of an impression outside of the clubs in America, save a couple campy singles from Amber, DJ Sammy, and the granddaddy of the all, DJ Miko. The big difference between D.H.T. and the above is that this Belgian team put less camp in their thumping and pumping pop anthems, and they construct better albums because of it. All in all, this is a feel-good album with some decent vocals and catchy beats and melodies.