It's been two and a half years since Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons, the UK duo behind techno/house supergroup The Chemical Brothers, have treated us to new studio music. Among the veterans of modern house music, the Brothers have made mainstream audiences pay attention to electronica. Their most widely-known disc, Dig Your Own Hole - by far their commercial pinnacle - showcased their trademark big beat and heavy bass style. The tracks on that album, as well as on the studio follow-up Surrender, are complicated, busy, and expansive. But like most DJs, they couldn't care less about what has made them popular. Rather, they are more concerned with the quest to find a "new" sound.
Unfortunately, the Brothers seem to be struggling to find that sound on their newest CD, Come With Us. The one thing that is glaringly missing from nearly the entire album is a good bassline - I remember blowing out some discman headphones because of the bass line of Surrender's "Under the Influence." This album sounds nearly the same on a quality stereo system as it does on a clock-radio CD player: rather bland. Part of what made the previous records so great was that their beats possessed a sense of urgency. It was as if the pair felt they had a responsibility to get the music out there, because it was so fresh. Here, it's as if they're saying, "We were tinkering around with this a bit, listen if you like."
There are a smattering of good sequences throughout, but there isn't one song that really feels complete. The opening title track begins luring you into a cosmic funk vibe that builds, and builds, and builds. But the pinnacle never comes. Striking just the right balance between bouncy bass, catchy rhythm, and animated drums is very much an art, and for the first time, the Chemical Brothers seem to be coming up short. At over six minutes, you would think there would be some kind of sonic progression to the album's first single, "It Began in Afrika". But after the rather cheesy vocal repetition of "it began in Afrika-ka-ka-ka-ka...," some now-standard tribal drums, and even samples of jungle cats, all that's left is a rather halfhearted rhythm that's about as innovative as the techno played on Top 40 radio.
There are a few songs that stand out among the lackluster. "My Elastic Eye," with its buzzy synth-heartbeat and xylophone-like percussion, sounds like FAO Schwartz in the Twilight Zone, which is actually quite fun. Fellow Brit Richard Ashcroft of the Verve lends his voice to the album's closing track, "The Test." It is essentially a remix of a rock song, in the same vain as some Paul Oakenfold remixes, and very reminiscent of recent Radiohead. This, if anything, is among the musical directions that it would be nice to see the Brothers explore some more, as worn rock conventions could use a good kick in the teeth.
The one track that comes close to the upbeat, catchy, dance pace at which the group truly excels is the aptly-named "Galaxy Bounce." Aside from dancing, the one thing that good techno music can always get you to do is drive fast. If this song doesn't make you press your foot a little harder and race down the highway with James Bond in mind, well, then, maybe you don't deserve to have a license.
The one thing Come With Us gets points for is that at least it tries to be different, something expected from the Chemical Brothers, and also lacking in popular music. All they have to do is stop trying so hard. Everything previous felt so natural, as opposed to the forced nature of some of this album. We waited a while for this CD, but fans would be willing to wait longer if it meant that Simons and Rowlands could find a way to break the rules again. Everyone's allowed one slip up. As they've assured us in the past, brothers gonna work it out.
