As on the first Desert Roses & Arabian Rhythms, the ambiance here is dance-oriented and club-friendly, which is at once unsurprising and perfectly authentic. Modern Middle Eastern pop is youth-oriented and notoriously open to intercultural experimentation, but some novelties work better than others. Rachid Taha's percussive, bass-driven "En Retard" is one pick hit, and Cheb Mami's string-driven "Baida" is another. Khaled's "Trigue Lycee," Sabu and Arabian Fantasy's festive "Yala Habibi," and "Albi Htar"--a live track by Ragheb Alama and Faudel--are also worth the price of admission. Oojami's "Instanboogie," which is simply annoying in the living room at high noon, sounds fabulous at 2 a.m. after a few drinks. However, Shani's "Call of the Wild" is trite and clich&eacute-ridden, and "Take Me, I'm Yours" reduces the queenly Tunisian diva Latifa to fatuous rhapsodizing about desert trysts and camels. Ultimately, though, this mixed bag will delight worldbeat techno fans. --Christina Roden