My relationship with The Chemical Brothers has been one comparable only with my favorite soccer team: happy when they win, sore when they lose, and utterly frustrated when the moves are so obviously wrong that I swore to give it up altogether several times. Their previous two records have been a collection of big names and non cohesive songs that did not flow naturally and were rather chopped, almost forced to sound good to entice buyers instead of stimulating followers. Further shatters the curse and by taking a step back the Bros. move forward, ahead of the stagnant phase they seemed unable to surpass.
The first thing that one notices is the minimal use of voice and vocal samples. The few times Tom Rowlands or singer Stephanie Dosen participate is to enhance rather than lead, which helps to structuring sequence and avoid disrupting the mood of the record.
Escape velocity, the first taste we heard of Further, is over ten minutes long, pays homage to The Who with synthesizers that give cue to an ecstatic celebration impossible to miss and not once resorts to supporting vocals to soar. That they managed to pull off such a welcome flashback to their glory days is a remarkable fact.
Horse power is probably the track that most captures the spirit of their music: built on two simple words it gallops its way to an explosive chorus that would make any club goer cream with pleasure. Fist single Swoon capitalizes on the memento and pushes the record to a mellower conclusion. By the time the last notes of Wonders of the deep vanish one is left with the impression that we have just experienced one of their live shows, such is the force of their sound and the immersive flow they deliver.
The digital release offers two more tracks, Don't think and Porquoui, and the CD/DVD pack shows their first proper partnership with long time visual collaborators Adam Smith and Marcus Lyall, who created a short film for each one of the eight tracks.
Further is a well-rounded electronica record. It belongs in the dance floor and not in the playlist of some pop station. The Chemical Brothers maturity does not sound dated; it is renewed, energetic. By shedding off the entrapment of an aged formula they have succeeded in creating their best album of this decade.
The first thing that one notices is the minimal use of voice and vocal samples. The few times Tom Rowlands or singer Stephanie Dosen participate is to enhance rather than lead, which helps to structuring sequence and avoid disrupting the mood of the record.
Escape velocity, the first taste we heard of Further, is over ten minutes long, pays homage to The Who with synthesizers that give cue to an ecstatic celebration impossible to miss and not once resorts to supporting vocals to soar. That they managed to pull off such a welcome flashback to their glory days is a remarkable fact.
Horse power is probably the track that most captures the spirit of their music: built on two simple words it gallops its way to an explosive chorus that would make any club goer cream with pleasure. Fist single Swoon capitalizes on the memento and pushes the record to a mellower conclusion. By the time the last notes of Wonders of the deep vanish one is left with the impression that we have just experienced one of their live shows, such is the force of their sound and the immersive flow they deliver.
The digital release offers two more tracks, Don't think and Porquoui, and the CD/DVD pack shows their first proper partnership with long time visual collaborators Adam Smith and Marcus Lyall, who created a short film for each one of the eight tracks.
Further is a well-rounded electronica record. It belongs in the dance floor and not in the playlist of some pop station. The Chemical Brothers maturity does not sound dated; it is renewed, energetic. By shedding off the entrapment of an aged formula they have succeeded in creating their best album of this decade.
