Considering the stratospheric heights they reached in the ’90s, the Chems had a rather average noughties. The three albums they released were certainly good, but definitely not on a par with the masterworks Exit Planet Dust, Dig Your Own Hole and Surrender. In fairness, it’s pretty difficult to continually write tunes as monumentally awesome as ‘Leave Home’, ‘Block Rockin’ Beats’ and ‘Hey Boy Hey Girl’, not to mention the brilliantly mind-warping Noel Gallagher collaborations ‘Setting Sun’ and ‘Let Forever Be’.
Long term fans of Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands will have a fair idea of what to expect from Further – upbeat psychedelic dance tunes are the order of the day, with little of the claustrophobic, intense rhythms of yore. Indeed, only occasionally – such as on the thundering ‘Horse Power’ – do the duo really let rip. Otherwise, the Brothers unfussily go about the business of delivering dancefloor fillers to order – they’re all well crafted tracks, but there’s precious little that truly excites.
Sad to say that the new decade hasn’t really given Tom and Ed a new lease of life. Next time round, let’s hope they really have their mojo back.
Key track: ‘Horse Power’