UK's techno giants return with more

One of the UK's first-tier electronic acts is back with a stylish new album and one fewer member to deal with. Following the release of former member DJ Emerson, Rick Smith and Karl Hyde of Underworld highlight the group's talent as a duo in its album, A Hundred Days Off.\nUnderworld is renowned for its ability to produce seamless, progressive, dance anthems, and many cuts from its new album further back up this notion. The opening track, "Mo Move," picks up right where older Underworld songs like "Cowgirl" and "King of Snake" left off. It packs a low, funky bass line looping throughout the entire track as a series of Latin-influenced polyrhythms build up alongside Hyde's soothing voice.\n"Two Months Off," the first 12-inch and single release off the album, features more of the same signature bass lines and synthesizer riffs responsible for making asses shake on the dance floor the world over. It's hardly noticeable that this song is more than nine minutes long because of its frequent breakdowns and buildups. Coupled with the sultry voice of Juanita during certain sections of the song, it's no wonder "Two Months Off" is the first single from the album. It's a great track. \nUnderworld slows things down a bit in tracks like "Sola Sistim" and, most notably, "Trim," in which Hyde and Smith reveal another side of their production talents by featuring a melodious acoustic guitar and intelligently processed vocals. "Ess Gee" is simply beautiful, featuring only a dreamy electric guitar and enough ambience to fill Assembly Hall. \nFrom the get-go, it's obvious "Dinosaur Adventure 3D" is another trademark Underworld feet-stomper. This track definitely focuses its energy around the different elements of percussion. High hat and ride cymbal rhythms are constantly changing in and out of the uptempo bass beat. Even though Hyde's voice in this song goes a little overboard in terms of vocal processing (a là Cher's "Believe"), "Dinosaur Adventure" is still capable of making just about anyone sweat.\nThe only puzzling thing about A Hundred Days Off is the way in which Underworld ends the album. In the final track, "Luetin," the 4/4 beat is slowed down considerably compared to other tracks on the album. This doesn't make "Luetin" a bad track necessarily, but it does disrupt the flow of the album as a whole. I wished for just one more track that would have the power to leave me breathless to end the album, but it never came.\nDespite the minor disappointment at the end of this record, I was still very pleased with the end result. Great production. Great grooves. Even greater album.