Critiques CD: Chemical Brothers | Further

The Big Beat bros of yesteryear are still at it, believe it or not, and this latest release actually merits a closer listen than the previous two. Album opener “Snow” is hands down the crown jewel: an irresistible take on passion, with a dreamy, distant voice drowned in guitar feedback. The equally ethereal and soulful “Another World” (with commanding synths to boot) also finds the duo exploring new sounds. Hearing the unimaginative and drawn-out “Escape Velocity” however, I feared the remainder of the disc would retread to a by-the-numbers thump-a-thon. The bulk of Further alternates between fairly innovative hooks and generic build-ups.