It's taken a lot to do this review, mainly because I didn't really want to take the CD out of my player. Reviewing albums is something that's normally straightforward. Listen to CD. Pick your favorite tracks. List the things you don't like. Give it a rating. FabricLive 26 isn't this simple. It's a deep CD with hooks that are almost magnetic and beats that run through your head at all hours.

With some limited knowledge of The Herbaliser, I was already expecting something a little different from what we normally see for mix CDs on this side of the big drink. Normally, the so-called "mix" CDs is no more than a compilation of the current hot tracks. Being located in the far north of Canada, the skills of our bar DJs are limited at best. What does this mean? It means I was in desperate need of a quality mix. Luckily Fabric Live 26 did not disappoint.

The opening track is the only questionable one on the album. "Dogs N Sledgez" by Million Dan isn't really representative of the rest. His rough flow is undoubtedly impressive but doesn't fit well with the subtle old school party vibe found on the rest of the album.

But Ollie Teeba and Jake Wherry of Herbaliser recover quickly, providing a set of tracks that sound fresh while maintaining a classic vibe. The inclusion The Jackson 5, James Brown and Eric B. & Rakim (the awesome "Paid In Full -Seven Minutes of Madness - The Coldcut Remix") only add to the groove that holds throughout the album.

To list the highlight tracks on this mix would be like listing my favorite parts of Harold and Kumar go to White Castle: ever-changing. Unlike most mixes albums, FabricLive 26 doesn't fall apart at the end. It stays true to the concept and produces a solid effort from front to back.