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We Are The Night | The Chemical Brothers
Astralwerks | 19th June

Review by Jigantor

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Sounds like … The Chemical Brothers. If you don't know what the Chemical Brothers sound like, you need to stop redecorating your rock.

The Chemical Brothers are huge. Even if you don't like electronica and don't know your big beat from your trip-hop, you know the Chemical Brothers. You may know them because you took too much E and collapsed at Big Day Out. You may know them and claim they're 'too mainstream' because you're a self-respecting raver. You may know them because they were the token electronic track on the Triple J Hottest 100 album you bought in year ten. Point is, you know them.

So any new release from them is exciting. It's news. It's number one on the UK charts. Unfortunately, it's almost invariably disappointing. See, the Brothers create undeniably brilliant, compelling tracks. But since Surrender, they have created disjointed, underwhelming albums, which are always less than the sum of their parts. Who remembers anything except 'Galvanise' off Push The Button? Nonetheless, there's some killer tracks on this album: 'All Rights Reversed', featuring the Klaxons, is 4:33 of genius, 'Do It Again' is the obligatory infectious radio-friendly track, and the title track is utterly engrossing.

As a whole though, the album leaves you feeling somehow empty. Closing track 'The Pills Won't Help You Now' is a radical change in tempo from the rest of the album, and a wonderful track on its own, but rather than closing out the release it feels like an afterthought. 'The Salmon Dance' is an irritating Sesame Street novelty track that stops any mood or sense of continuity from building. Like their last few releases, this provides plenty of fodder for your best-of-the-Brothers iPod playlist. Just don't expect a unified listening experience.

7 out of 10