"For That Beautiful Feeling" is Chemical Brothers new album

    While it ended the duo's run of six consecutive chart-topping albums by "only" reaching No.4, 2019's No Geography was The Chemical Brothers' most consistent LP this century. The quality control extends to Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons' 10th album, which does a fine job of incorporating all their flavors while remaining concise.

Having delivered a tour that was full-on even by their standards for No Geography, festival shows this summer were relatively subtle, a chilled mood present in preview singles The Darkness That You Fear and especially the shoegaze vibe of Live Again, the latter dreamily swooned by French singer Halo Maud. Her other contribution, the closing title track, is even woozier, worthy of other blissed-out Chems classics like Where Do I Begin?

However, those recent concerts were also detonated by firecracker new song Feels Like I'm Dreaming, which is now even more explosive in the studio. If ever a song was destined to have the Brothers' trademark laser firing giant robots kick into action onstage, it's this thriller. Similarly propulsive, The Weight is essentially a sequel to debut hit Leave Home, punishing funk guitar riff and all.

Halo Maud aside, the only other guest is Beck. Their hook-up on Skipping Like A Stone is possibly the best all-out Chemical Brothers pop song, a slice of pure joy almost - almost - matched by Magic Wand veering into Avalanches-y trippy wide-eyed wonder at the cosmos.

With Goodbye this album's moment of gospel-tinged heartbreak (and the best song Moby never made around Play), only Fountains' regulation bounce doesn't particularly add anything. Which, out of 10 full songs, is a pretty decent average.

Nearly 30 years on from Exit Planet Dust; it's remarkable how commanding Rowlands and Simons remain. Given that their live show is still the best immersive visual spectacle in any genre, they could easily do a Kraftwerk and just settle for great concerts. Instead, they're still making God-tier bangers. That feels kinda beautiful.