The E.N.D By The Black Eyed Peas

The Black Eyed Peas’ much-anticipated new record, “The E.N.D.” (The Energy Never Dies), is a surprisingly formidable creation. It seems that in between Fergie getting down on London Bridge and Will.i.am making an unexpected appearance in the Wolverine movie, the band was coming up with a fifteen track collection of slick beats and thumping grooves that keep you as entertained as if you were watching the band live in front of you. You just can’t wait to see what they’ll do with their funk-hop rhythm next.

On the first single, “Boom Boom Pow,” the quartet manages to turn almost nonsensical lyrics into a hit single – their first number 1, to be exact. Never mind the title, Fergie is heard not making much sense with the line: “I’m so 3008, you’re so 2000 and late.” But she does it to some of the slickest beats released this year, so that seems to make it okay.

The second single, “I Gotta Feeling” moves away from the bass beats and hip-hop vibe of “Boom Boom Pow,” and sounds more like it belongs in a club. It’s an optimistic tune that looks set to have dance floors full all summer.

Other tracks that also belong on the decks in clubs include “Rock Your Body,” a song that has an early Bomfunk MCs sound. There’s also “Party All The Time,” with a catchy tempo and carefree message about life being easy once you “throw all your problems away.” Then we have “Ring-A-Ling,” that carries a futuristic sound and is oddly catchy, despite much of the song being the title hypnotically repeated over and over.

A rare moment where the CD falters is on “Showdown,” the chorus of which sounds oddly similar to a little-known Britney Spears song of the same name – the song has a lot less bite than the rest of the album’s tracks.

As the standout character in the Black Eyed Peas cast, Fergie’s vocals take the lead on many of the songs. Her fiercest and finest performances are on the self-empowering “Out Of My Head” and when she brings attitude to the track, “Now Generation.”

So if “shut up, just shut up, shut up” and “my lovely lady lumps” didn’t piss you off so much that you refuse to even acknowledge the group now, then “The E.N.D.” will have you breaking down its beats and singing to its inane lyrics for days on end.