[dubman]

not on the same block, neighborhood, district, country, planet, or galaxy as their best album, personally. it's like a great placeholder in the distance between AHDO and their other albums. it great, but not beaucoup fish great, and not even approaching dubnobass and STITI, but it's clearly better than that shell-shocked AHDO.
while their position is much more sure than it was with their last album, and their sound is a pretty big step in a different direction, it still sounds like a band trying to shake off the possibility of attrition rather than having a completely sure hand at what they're doing. even the tune 'beautiful burnout', a well written track that justifiably gets chills going, is still reaching back about ten years into what makes a dance tune, and it's supposed to be the penultimate highlight of the album. underworld's excursions and internet distractions seem to be more rewarding than when they get serious and start making "album" songs. i always keep thinking that this album is much better than i'm giving it credit for until i remember that yes, if 'vanilla monkey' had replaced ring road or JAL to Tokyo would have bumped off boy boy boy this album would be so much better and more interesting.
i still love it to peices and feel that most of my excitement for it was well justified, because i still think it's a great album, but time enough with it has made it clear that there's still problems that inevitably come with an aging band that i hope they can defy the rule of thumb of and confront to really throw us on our ass again.