Burst Generator is still a great track, but it's not anything like i was expecting.

my favorite part of the song is from 5:05 to 5:22. That synth is so cool.

This album shows why they kick ass. I would never have thought of listening to the tracks battle scars and pills after hearing the first few seconds of the songs if it wasn't by the brothers. But lo, turns out those tracks are by far the best. Thank you Tom and Ed for expanding my musical horizons.

They are starting to make me feel like they don't need any "Do It Again" traditional dance bangers anymore to make me like them. They are maturing with their fan base, in the right way. They are getting older, as are we.

one of these days, im gonna write a review on the album, for now, I have to listen to it more.

it's (skyline's opinion) so odd to me, because when I hear this album, I hear the next logical step from TPPR and Sunshine Underground... it just fits to me. To me, this is the most Chemical Brothery Album since Surrender.

But what and where is the next logical step from TPPR and Sunshine Underground in WATN? How can you possibly say its the 'most chemical Brothery album since Surrender? My major problem with the album is i think its the least Chemical Brothery album thus far is some respects (not all but some) a lot of the things i love about the Chems are not all together evident on the album or if they are they're not the greatest examples of what the Chems can do. There's a real concentration on vocal performances this time around but they've done far stronger vocal stuff on other albums IMHO. There's not much in the way of epic anthems, something we all know the Chems can't be beaten by anybody on. And again I would have to say as far as the subtler instrumental dance tracks are concerned they've done better, inventive and more engaging work than most of whats on offer here. Das Spiegal is up there with their best in this area but its alone on the album.

Don't get me wrong WATN is not a bad album and I agree with Apostle's point above that the Chems can and should be able to mature and show a more sophisticated side whilst at the same time growing with their audience (I'm 35 and I'm starting to need a bit more subtlety in my dance music myself)

But to my ears there is a bit of a lack of good basic tunes on WATN, I think the album struggles with itself a bit for me.

Not responding to any post in particular--

I've been going through this similar debate in my head. Do I like the way the Chemical Brothers have changed? Why couldn't they make another DYOH? Are they ever going to grasp that energy they once managed to harness for their music?

My feeling is that their energy has changed, which brings both positive and negative consequences. I'll have to see how I feel about the album after I see how it fits in with their live set, because really that's how I've defined the Chems for myself--seeing them live changed my life in so many different positive ways, and it's impossible for me to take into account how I feel about their music now without regarding how the experience would be in a crowd full of people jumping in unison to their performance.

The negative consequences of their change in energy are obvious, and everyone who dislikes the album is feeling it, not to mention the mentions of the two of them going in different directions. Tom's more of a family man, and both of them are getting older. This tones things down, and it's definitely reflected in WATN.

Unless they make a discernible effort to grab that energy of the '90s again, I don't think it's going to come back. But this isn't to say that they're not going to do just that... I have this sneaking suspicion that they're going to end up going out with a bang, taking it back to their roots. Either that or I'm just deluding myself, I don't know.

Whatever the case may be, the Chems' albums remain as beautiful placeholders in my life, reflecting the times, emotions and energy for all that was going on. This new album still is Chemical energy, regardless of how different it sounds from the previous ones. I'm definitely embracing what they've created, because the more I give it a chance the more I find in it that is worth giving it a chance.

I share sentiments similar to Skyline and TJ in that, yes, I'm going to hope for a harder hitting album in the future. But realistically, if this album paves a way to a different future, I'm going to groove along the way regardless.

Just ride it... let go of your expectations and ride it...

There's no epic anthems?

sorry, toby, your opinion just became completely irrelevent.

If you don't think We are the Night and Burst Generator are epic anthems, then you're obviously deaf.

I said there's not much in the way of epic anthems, not there's NO epic anthems. Burst Generator and Saturate fit the bill but Burst Generator is no where near being up there with their best in my opinion. It creates a lot of noise and is pretty messy but doesn't seem to go anywhere. It'll be far better live though and I'm looking forward to hearing all the new stuff at loch Ness in a couple of weeks.

ps We Are the Night an epic anthem? Not to my ears.

I tend to turn up Burst Generator a bit more for some reason. <_>

Burst Generator best song since Sunshine Underground, Sunshine Underground best song since TPPR.

This is not open for debate. Anyone who disagrees will be locked in a box and shocked on the genitals until they agree.

^ /lol

DON'T MAKE ME GET THE NUT SHOCKY!!!

Pooter, you bring up some interesting points in your last post. Just ride it, just go along for the ride. It's all you can do. If you don't like the ride then fair 'nuff, then you get out and hitch another ride with someone else. And maybe one day you'll meet at a crossroads again...

Also the point you brought up with Tom and Ed being at different places in their lives and this having an effect on the music. Of course, that makes perfect sense. They aren't getting any younger and they have to move on and do what they have to do in their lives, and I'm sure given where they both are in their this sort of yin-yang has caused creative conflicts which have been overcome resulting in what we're hearing now. But to me, the push and pull can be heard throughout this album and summed up perfectly with the line "you're digging your heels" in The Pills Won't Help You Now.

That said, I don't expect them to revert back to the 90's. That's kind of impossible - and unfair to hold them to this sort of 90's standards that have been developed whenever an album that doesn't cut the Dig Your Own Hole mold is released. I don't think it's necessarily right to say they've lost their roots, either. From what I hear they have a pretty firm grasp of who they are and what their music is and where their influences lie, all while being progressive, modern and relevant.

Their formulas - even those peaks and valleys all their albums flow in, these soundscapes are still there but the terrain has changed a bit and the Chems have adapted. That is a hard thing to pull off, and imo another thing to add to their growing list of accomplishments with which they can be proud...

I do like the album, but feel it is a very large departure for them, at least hearing it only on computer speakers so far. I'll reserve final judgement for when I hear the album in the car with the speakers and the subs, or clubbing, or live, or whatever. It has so many hints and bits of what I would consider essential Chemical elements but has a pretty different, more mature character about it.

I think perhaps it's just that I have so many indelible memories attached to most of the other albums and that such a high volume of music goes through my (more sophisticated now than then) ears that it's hard for any band I've followed so fanatically to impress me. The fact that I do like the album is perhaps the biggest indicator of how good it is. I've completely stopped following so many artists and bands who I was utterly obsessed with in the not-too-distant past, yet I'm still hanging around with Tom & Ed even though it doesn't quite feel the same as before (different, not necessarily any worse).

Surrender is still their best by quite some margin though, in my opinion. It is one of the best pop albums ever released, walking that critical tightrope between the underground and experimental and the mainstream in the same way Revolver does. Everything from the artwork to the massive singles, to the deep album cuts, to the fantastic flow shouts modern classic.

And they have released better tunes than Burst Generator since The Sunshine Underground, also in my opinion. Although Burst Generator IS very VERY sweet, right now I'll still take The Test, The Golden Path, Surface to Air, Hold Tight London or Close Your Eyes before it.

[And despite hoping that I'd listen twice and then put it away until CD release time, I'm listening to it right now... again. After listening to at least a few tracks every day since the first. 'We Are The Night' is such an infectious track, I keep letting it play. Reminds me a lot of Music: Response. Great album opener. Will be cool live, too.]

I totally agree with Darky up there. There've been better songs since Sunshine Underground to put Burst Generator up there. I'm talking only from personal hearing experiences - not on e in a club, of course it'll rock.

Also, I have been sampling the album here and there and playing mostly the older albums, and this album IS a big departure from the Chems traditional trademark stuff - and the fact that the stuff we're hearing is majorly compressed cutting out half the frequencies and production that'd reappear on the cd, doesn't help.

The album is definitely good, I love it, but 1. it's gonna be a totally different experience on cd and 2. i don't want to call it their best ever. hell i don't want to call any album their best ever. they've had amazing albums, and right now when i play em back to back with this, this screams bad quality, so i'll wait till i form my final opinion in july.

Darkstar, also -- don't forget that one of the biggest things Tom/Ed do with their great mixture of album work is mix them live in one of a million new ways, during a concert. So, listening to the album really only gives you the building blocks of what you hear live -- Mostly it just gives you recognizable pieces for the audio you're going to hear, but not necessarily be able to name.

I find that the most interesting part of what they do -- They create the (in their own words) "music that we wanted to play" and then use that the way they want. Facinating idea.

I totally agree with some of the reviews...Overall, I really liked the album…For me, I don’t like to get all analytical and systematic about my music...It’s a question of loving, liking, disliking or hating...After letting it play in my car and home for several days, I gotta say that the best moments for me are All rights reversed, Burst Generator, The pills won’t help you now, and obviously Saturate (I think the shorter edit from EBW8 makes it that much intense)…And regarding the rest of the songs, I liked them all…I just feel like with this album there weren’t songs where I instantaneously fell in love with and took over my mind like with previous albums (i.e. The Sunshine Underground, Star Guitar, The Test, Come with Us, Music:response, Surface to air, …)…But it was a good listen nonetheless…In addition, I think for me, their music works its magic when they’re played live, especially during their concert….

On a side note, it really bothers me when people constantly compare the Chems to what they used to sound in the 90's and/or put DYOH in a pedastal and set it as a standard of what the Chems should sound like...But I guess it's the nature of some people, maybe because they are attached to fond memories of the past…And at the same time when a band adapts or move forward with their sound, people also complain...Anyway, by no means I think the Chems lost their sound...I still hear the elements that are unique to the them with this album…And like I said before, this album will sound so much better after I hear it live…

igloo, did the title track do anything for ya? That's a great song .... very very catchy.. and lots of layers of sound.

does anyone here have a better rip than 192kbps? just curious.

now i'm waiting again for july!