The Chemical Brothers

Surrender starved fans of the Chemical Brothers' trademark big beat sound, which was playing itself out by then anyway. Always one step ahead, the duo made a mellower album with vocal help from Beth Orton, Tim Burgess and Hope Sandoval, who gave them a Spiritualized sheen.

Dance music is something usually spoken of in the future tense: the imminent hits and next
hot samples; the underground remixers ripe for prime time; the changes just around the
bend. Surrender, then, is a rare thing in electronic body pop: a record about yesterday. In
fact, the third sterling studio album by the Chemical Brothers, the English spin-jockey duo
of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons, may be the first dance-music album about the e... More >

Nostalgic--for futurism past, yet--at, what, 29? ("Hey Boy Hey Girl," "Let Forever Be") (Grade - *)