鈥淔or That Beautiful Feeling,鈥� The Chemical Brothers (Republic Records)
Remember, if you can, the 鈥�90s: When the popularity of rock bands waned and . By the time techno and acid house had taken dancefloors by storm, The Chemical Brothers were already pioneers of the big beat genre. That spirit continues on the British duo鈥檚 10th studio album, 鈥淔or That Beautiful Feeling.鈥�
Back in the day, Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons' 鈥淗ey Girl Hey Boy鈥� and 鈥淕alvanize鈥� electrified the airwaves. As EDM ebbed and flowed 鈥� to this reporter's ears, becoming a cultural marker only to gently fade into the foreground as niche, easy listening 鈥� The Chemical Brothers' innovative music never wavered. They continue to find the less obvious beats and harmonies on 鈥淔or That Beautiful Feeling"; they've never lost their 鈥渋t鈥� factor.
The 11-track record is a dreamy otherworldly vibe, reflecting its title to a tee. Recorded in their close-to-the-coast studio in England, one can almost feel the chill descend on one鈥檚 shoulders as the music lifts one up. It鈥檚 your favorite Chemical Brothers tracks with a twinge of timelessness and a dash of angelic vocals from artist Halo Maud, who features on two tracks: a syncopated study in hypnotism and the album's titular track.
Elsewhere, a track like 鈥淭he Weight鈥� struts in like a vintage police film chase, while 鈥淔ountains鈥� is the musical embodiment of that dancefloor badass in a leather jacket. 鈥淪kipping Like A Stone" brings a collaboration from the , the band's second since 2015鈥檚 鈥淲ide Open."
Together, the songs, disparate and fun, articulate together a beach marquee that lets you dream assured under the sun, next to the sea.
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This review has been corrected to show the tracks on which Halo Maud was featured.
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AP music reviews:
Cristina Jaleru, The Associated Press
