[NEW RELEASES] Chemical Brothers

Chemical Brothers

On their seventh studio album, the Chemical Brothers (Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons) break free of the collaborations with vocalists that characterized most of their recent work to strike out once again on their own.

It’s a good move. The two certainly have the depth and direction to do without other creative voices. The sonic landscapes on “Further” are extremely varied, from the floating, beatless “Snow” and the mellow, booming of “Wonders of the Deep” to the distortions and whinnies (really) of “Horse Power,” which has an updated Kraftwerk vibe and is unfortunately the album’s only real failure.

Some of Further’s best efforts actually sound better at the beginning and end than in the middle, something true of Wonders and the album’s high point, “Escape Velocity,” a 12-minute catapult launch.

That isn’t the case, though, for the album’s other single, “Swoon,” a surprising trip into acid pop. It may not redefine the genre, but it’s another solid entry from these reliable workhorses of dance music. By Ben Applegate

Chemical Brothers

“Further”

Label: Freestyle Dust

Genre: Electronica