Far from being chock-full of block-rockin' beats and raved-up synth riffs, Baby Monkey sounds more like something an aspiring DJ would make on the Casiotone keyboard he got for his seventh birthday. On several of the would-be dance-floor stormers, Moby stacks up layers of panoramic synth chords that sound turgid and outdated. His kick-drums pack the punch of a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot, and the snare and high-hat crescendos sound cacophonous and tinny.
The few tracks that merit repeat listening trade on a more minimal after-hours vibe. "Electronics" combines a carefully burnished keyboard melody with delicately resonating cymbals and a roly-poly bass line, while "Last" wraps a squelchy acid riff around a new-wave arpeggio and a dangerously careening siren call for a trip to techno's dark side. As for the rest, well, let's put it this way: Tracks like "Unh Yeah" would probably be better named "Please, No."