THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - FURTHER

Well, anyone who knows me knows I've been waiting with baited breath for this disc to come out. I just love me some Chems... I've always been fascinated by what these two guys create. They do more than just write dance music. There's a lot of thought and art in what they're doing. Visually, they are just as stimulating as they are groovy. But let's talk about 'Further'...

My initial reaction to the tracks I heard before the albums release; 'Escape Velocity' and 'Swoon' was kinda mixed. I liked them, but I wasn't really counting on something as anthem-like or larger than life. The Brothers always produce music that is huge, full and often powerful. Both these tracks seemed more on the weak side and I felt a little discouraged by the potential of this disc. That was until I actually heard it.

'Snow' starts off with some odd distortion and the repeated line of "Your love keeps lifting me... Lifting me higher". Not a very unique theme in dance music. But the odd mixture of subdued instrumentation and the almost insane way the vocals are delivered gives this track a sense of apprehension. It also reinforced my initial opinion that I was about to hear some really low end dance tracks normally reserved for Top 40 pop rather than the strong, psychedelic beats of previous efforts. 'Escape Velocity' segues from 'Snow' and is actually very exciting. Especially when you're driving around in your truck with the volume up at earth shattering decibels. 'Another World' starts up and right away I thought to myself... "Hunh?" But once the song kicks in, I was nodding my head and bouncing along for the ride completely in tune with what was happening. 'Dissolve' had me literally coming out of my seat. I was so excited by what I was hearing. When the drum beat kicks in, you just can't help but feel like exploding. "Gir, self destruct." "Finally, Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

'Horse Power' seems like an obvious attempt at high octane rock with heavy beats and the song doesn't disappoint. The sinister repetition of the melody motifs and the heavy build on the drum track, make this song one of the most powerful on the disc. It forces you to take notice and get the "blankety-blank" up off your butt and get to shakin'. 'Swoon' feels like a wonderful fluffy cloud afterward and is both melodic and beautiful especially when taken in context with the rest of the disc. 'K + D + B' is an amazing tune that has all kinds of African drum sounds. It starts off as something tribal but ends up in a more traditional space. It definitely keeps the momentum of the disc moving right along. 'Wonders Of The Deep' is another 'Private Psychedelic Reel'... It has all the mystical sounds and feel of an arena rock anthem, but in The Chemical Brothers own unique style. It's wonderful, surprising and a beautiful conclusion to what I can honestly say is one of the most exciting discs I've heard in ages.

So what about track #9? Well, kiddies, this little number was what I got for buying the digital download early from Itunes. Just my crappy luck to have to buy the album twice for the special song. I hate money grabbing ploys like that. It's like being punished for wanting a CD copy of the disc. But let me be honest... 'Don't Think' is probably my favorite track from this collection. It starts off as a really cool and interesting beat track. It has some nice moments and a great build, but all of a sudden, it changes. You get some spoken lyrics, then a snippet of classical music I can't quite place and finally, a deep funky beat you gotta stick your fingers in and sniff cause it STANKS of funkiness!!! I wish the last two minutes of this song could be taken and made into an entirely different track cause it's the meanest groove I've heard in ages.

I spent two hours driving around in my truck listening to this thing. And it hasn't left my player yet. If you haven't given it a try, I suggest you do it asap. It's one of the most amazing pieces of ART on disc! If I actually rated my discs, this one would get the highest score. It's a winner, so you can't lose. My final words: PERFECTION PERSONIFIED.

THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - FURTHER
01. Snow
02. Escape Velocity
03. Another World
04. Dissolve
05. Horse Power
06. Swoon
07. K + D + B
08. Wonders Of The Deep
09. Don't Think
10. Pourquoi