Just picked it up this weekend. Decent stuff. Far more meticulous than their usual fare, and far less trancey than previous releases. Crocodile, Beautiful Burnout and (my personal favorite) Best Mamgu Ever represent the best and probably most accessible stuff on the album. But there’s a lot to be said for spoken word whirlwind Holding the Moth, and Massive Attack-inspired tracks Ring Road and Boy, Boy Boy. Others like Faxed Invitation call to mind the work of Fluke’s OTO, while ambient interludes To Heal and Good Morning Cockereal offer up veritable Craig Armstrong moments.

The strength is in the versatility of the album while keeping in the unique Underworld sound—the weakness is that it travels too far in 58 minutes to be truly cohesive. I’ll look forward to the Japanese version (which includes additional bonus tracks I haven’t yet heard), but for the time being this lands as a solid payoff, fantastic listening, but somewhat lacking. Still, it was worth the wait.

8/10.

I’m interested.  What do you mean when you say a song is “accessible”?  I’m stumped.

More friendly to the masses. Crocodile, Beautiful Burnout and Best Mamgu Ever will all see regular play on dancefloors and in mix sets because they’re more melodically friendly and straightforwardly-written than the other, more eclectic stuff on the disc.

album of the year.  Without question.  Amazing.

i’m still in Boys Noize / Digitalism / Justice mode, have to tone it down this weekend for a trip with Underworld… can’t wait!

9/10 overall.

I don’t think any comment is needed on the technical aspect of this album, so I’ll offer a different perspective:

I am a very “moody” person; to me, music without a mood is like a person without a soul: an empty shell. When I listen to music, I’m looking for both the quality of the music as much as I am the mood behind it.

When I’m angry, annoyed, frustrated, etc and I need to cool down, I reach for Chris Nemmo’s Forbidden Paths, or Craig Armstrong’s The Space Between Us, or anything by Digital Witchcraft, select Delerium, Conjure One, Imogen Heap or Iris tracks, for example. When I am upset, it’s almost always Conjure One’s “Tears from the Moon,” “Extraordinary Way” or Delerium’s “Paris,” “Nature’s Kingdom” or Iris’s “Lands of Fire.” Happy, energetic, I reach for Leftfield, Psykosonik, BT, Burufunk, Crystal Method, Infusion, etc. What I listen to always, always, always corresponds to my mood (and explains the ridiculous play counts in my top 25), which is why I love this album.

If I’m angry or annoyed and need to cool off, I can toss on Crocodile, Best Mamgu Ever or Good Morning Cockerel. Beautiful Burnout takes the ambidextrous route being an excellent upset or relaxing song. My favourite off the album, however, is definitely Ring Road. Excellent track on its own, and coupled with the upbeat and free flowing mood of the song, it’s a definite winner in my book.

The one track I dislike is Boy, Boy Boy. I can’t put my finger on it (save for lack of mood IMO) but I just can’t get into it.

5/5 = Ring Road, Beautiful Burnout, Best Mamgu Ever
4.5/5 = Crocodile
4/5 = Holding the Moth, To heal, Glam Bucket, Cuddle Bunny Vs The Celtic Villages, Faxed Invitation, Good Morning Cockerel
3/5 = Boy, Boy, Boy

Underworld = best dance gig I have ever been to. By a country mile!

2 months off (the track) still makes me go funny at the knees in the right setting

3 songs mentioned are def the most listenable for me.  Holding the Moth was just too out there for me, “with electric eye on you . . . pleasure all day”.  heh.  I miss the melodic and rythmic layers of trance that has degenerated into the cliche.  Guess I’ll hold out for the next Oaky or Tiesto genre defining classic. (yes that’s sarcasm).