Mmm Underworld, I love you. Hearing the duo’s first single in four years, Crocodile, debut on radio airwaves recently brought back a sense of familiarity that triggered memories from first hearing their ‘debut’ 1993 album dubnobasswithmyheadman. They’re famous for the sort of deep and textured sounds that swim around your head as you effortlessly get lost in them, and this is preserved with Crocodile. The track kicks off their latest album Oblivion With Bells, their fifth retail release, and it’s classic Underworld from the crescondoing melodic intro to it’s thumping minimal beat. The echoing voice of Karl Hyde is unmistakeable as the track establishes the opening bookend to the album.

Let it be said though, Oblivion With Bells is by no means banging. Perhaps the core of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith are mellowing in their age. Regardless, they haven’t lost the ability to inspire movement in music. Crocodile flows smoothly into Beautiful Burnout, an eight minute epic that continues to build and gather momentum with paced almost tribal-like rhythms and a deep humming bass. A true highlight for the album and almost worth the price of admission alone.

Whilst never being shy to experiment with different influences, Oblivion With Bells is arguably both their most varied and also they’re least club oriented album. “Keep it simple,” Hyde proclaims in Holding The Moth, a track dominated by a sharp but restrained beat and Hyde’s almost robotic precision and on-beat lyrical delivery. Whereas Ring Road borders on irritating at first listen, with Hyde doing his best Mike Skinner impersonation, somehow it manages to charm on repeated listens with its catchy and sweet melodic hook.

Since their previous 2002 album A Hundred Days Off and the world tour that followed, Hyde and Smith worked on a number of different projects: most notably on two different film soundtracks, one for Anthony Minghella with Breaking and Entering, and earlier this year with Danny Boyle on his sci-fi flick Sunshine. And it’s tracks like To Heal, Glam Bucket and Cuddle Bunny vs Celtic Villages that best reflect this new focus. They capture Underworld at their most downbeat and atmospheric, and almost seem like they could have been lifted straight from the haunting deep-space setting of Sunshine.. On the other hand Boy, Boy, Boy is about as close as they have come to stripped back and acoustic sounding.

There is no doubt that Oblivion With Bells has seen a change in pace for Underworld, and it’s one that anyone expecting a collection of club oriented classics might be disappointed with. However, the album still is still choc full of classic Underworld sounds that demand to be turned up loud to be fully appreciated. The album closes on a sublime note with Best Mangu Ever, almost sounding like Underworld’s attempt at trip hop. Almost…

Excited about Underworld’s return to the world stage? Check our recent feature on the band HERE and check out the clip for Crocodile in ITM-FM HERE.