A variety of simple, emotionally charged pop songs

After releasing several unsuccessful albums, Moby finally had a hit on his hands with Play. It's pretty formulaic, and he went on to reuse that formula in his next two albums, 18 and Hotel, but considering how long it took him to work it out, you can hardly blame him. These days it's easy to forget that Play was (eventually) popular for a reason: it's that good.

For the most part, Moby used the same technique to create Play as Fatboy Slim used the previous year to create You've Come a Long Way, Baby: he sampled some obscure old lead vocals, then built modern backing around them, complementing them with catchy rhythms, basslines, and riffs. Despite the similarity of their techniques, however, the two musicians have distinctive styles. Where Fatboy Slim is loud and upbeat, Moby is chilled and downtempo.

Moby contributes several different genres to Play: Porcelain, for example, is a sentimental breakup song led by a reversed string sample and a dreamy piano; Everloving is a beautiful, emotionally rich instrumental piece built around acoustic guitar plucking; and Natural Blues is a hook-fuelled pop song. Despite this variety, Moby has managed to give Play a surprisingly cohesive feel. Each cut has a polished sound that's somehow unspoilt by leaving the source material's background noises and record scratches intact, and most are either catchy or emotionally charged, if not both.

Play isn't art. It's entertainment. It doesn't offer much in the way of originality, and none of the songs will make you think — that's what the inlay card's accompanying essays are for. Play uses a simple formula to great effect, and it will more than likely move you. If you want to listen to complex, challenging music, you'd best look elsewhere, but if you want to unwind or lift your spirits, this album may just do the trick. It offers something for pretty much everyone.