An interesting Rock/Dance fusion album, "Random Order" gets off to a rousing start with the rocky "AU" that comes slamming in with a buzzing guitar-led backbeat (and compares favorably to the recent rhythmic Rock singles from the Killers) before we move into the album version of lead single, the slinky dance track "Avalon." Probably the highlight of the album, "Avalon" effectively combines Juliet's melancholy vocal with spaciously looming synth lines and an insistent drum track that made the track a natural lead single and a massive club hit to boot, though second single "Ride The Pain" may actually be a better example of how the album as a whole swerves closer to the Rock end of the Dance/Rock spectrum with a revved up beat and thrashing guitars that define the track by the time the chorus hits.
Downtempo funky tracks like the squeaking "Nu Taboo" and the bumpy "Neverland" then veer towards the Electronica arena with their heavy use of synthesizer backgrounds melded with rough-edged beats while the noisy "Puppet" or "New Shoes" admittedly seem better suited to Alternative Rock radio than the dancefloor. The gentle guitar-strummed "Waiting" and "Pot Of Gold" or the soothingly beatless electro-ballad "Untied" are reminiscent of some of Dido's work and do serve to showcase Juliet's delicate vocals admirably, but overall "Random Order" lives up to its name and primarily comes across as a mixed effort that may appeal more to fans of eclectic female singers than hardcore club goers.
