- Artist
- The Chemical Brothers
- Label
- Virgin
- Release date
- 2nd July 2007
- Genre
- Electronica
The Brothers, and chums, continue to work it out on delightful sixth album of psychedelia and electronica
As dance music enjoys something of a resurgence this year via the likes of Justice and Simian Mobile Disco, The Chemical Brothers’ sixth studio album release feels timely. Truth is, however, these young upstarts gaze at Daft Punk for their inspiration. Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons have been moving in more alternative psych-rock directions for some years with The Flaming Lips their kindred spirits.
The process continues here. We Are The Night features the now-customary unexpected collaborations plus a pleasing dedication to melody. Do It Again (featuring hotly-tipped young pup Ali Love) is the best: a throbbing, body-popping stomper Timberlake will wish he’d been offered, while old man-voiced folk crooner Willy Mason’s revelatory contribution on the unsettingly glacial Battle Scars is an unlikely triumph. Dancefloors still get slammed via instrumentals Das Spiegel (including a haunting melodica solo) and the Orbital-esque electro-house of Saturate, but it’s the album closer that astounds, Midlake collaboration The Pills Won’t Help You Now. A woozy, comedown lullaby of heartfelt beauty, it further strengthens the Brothers’ reputation beyond mere dance music duo into the realm of composers looking way beyond the dancefloor.
More to try: Simian Mobile Disco: Attack Decay Sustain Release LCD Soundsystem: Sound Of Silver Justice: †
