If you thought that electro was dead and buried after ruling the airwaves/club-waves(?) from 2006 to 2008, a look at the 2011 release calendar tells a very different story with new records from returning electro titans like Yuksek, SebastiAn (Ed Banger), Justice and this one from German duo Digitalism. Crank up the compression and call me a new raver, it feels like 2007 all over again!

Of course to truly bring electro back today requires more than just a plentiful release schedule from the scene’s big hitters, what is needed is good records that remind us why we danced to this stuff in the first place. Total from SebastiAn, the first album of the lot to bow, proved good on that producer’s electro promise and now it’s up to Digitalism to continue the momentum with their sophomore effort I Love You, Dude.

And they start off strong, rushing out of the gate with five big tunes reminding us of what Digitalism do best; make bangers. Beginning with the brightly coloured mid-tempo instrumental Stratosphere, the German duo proceed to ramp things up with some charging vocal cuts like 2 Hearts, Circles and Forrest Gump which marry the band’s electronic gifts with a penchant for grizzled garage rock guitar riffs – indeed the latter is co-written with Julian Casablancas of New York City pinups The Strokes.

At this point I Love You, Dude could either take off and soar on the back of such a strong opening or sink sadly, and though Digitalism do try to keep up their winning streak with the big beat Reeperbahn and album closer Encore, I Love You, Dude never hits quite the same highs as 2 Hearts and Circles.

Perhaps it’s the vocal presence of co-producer and sometime singer Jens Moelle that elevates those tunes in particular to winning status but, to me at least, Digitalism just seem to be more effective when they’re issuing out stadium sized tunes that’re just as easy to chant along to at a festival as they are to move to in a dark club, like 2 Hearts and Pogo from 2007’s Idealism LP.

Beyond such gripes though, I Love You, Dude really gets my ire since it feels like a wasted opportunity. With Digitalism’s star not burning nearly as bright today as it did in electro’s halcyon days, I expected and wanted the duo to come back with something big, something impactful and vital that showed up the people who’d written them and their style of choice off as passing fads. At 10 songs long – two of which we heard last year ( Blitz and Stratosphere ) and one that just feels utterly limp ( Just Glazin’ ) – I Love You, Dude doesn’t stick around long enough or try hard enough to make an impression or even put up much of a fight. Digitalism are still great producers, that hasn’t changed, but this is just a big disappointment.

Digitalism’s I Love You, Dude is out now through Co-Op