Oblivion with Bells

Underworld

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 16, 2007)
• Original Release Date: October 16, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ato Records / Red
• ASIN: B000VKKUHM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #115,981 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
After a five-year hiatus, Underworld return with an album that draws from across their past. With a mix of aggression and sunshine, they calculate syncopated, ricocheted beats against cleanly delineated textures and circumscribed melodies that have the cool of the 1980s New Romantic movement from which they originally sprang as Freur. Kraftwerk is in the DNA of their sound, but they've moved well past that, incorporating elements of hip-hop and industrial music into the mix. I wonder if Underworld's later mix of poetic spoken-word songs affected Brian Eno's recent work with poetry and music, because the influence seems to have boomeranged back in the vocal cadences of tracks such as "Ring Road." Like some of Eno's work, Karl Hyde's frequently treated, monotone talk-singing vocals could have been time-shifted from a beat-poetry reading of the early '60s. The only thing missing is the bongos. When his voice is processed, it merges as part of the sound field, but when his voice is relatively unaltered, as on "Good Morning Cockerel," it just becomes tedious. The best tracks on Oblivion with Bells are also the most ambitious. "Crocodile" has some lovely, almost Gregorian harmonies, while "Beautiful Burnout" is an epic journey with broad synthesizer chords sweeping by like headlights before segueing into a joyfully ritualistic electro-percussion tribal workout. But after that pair of opening tracks, you have to wait until the very last piece, a long, trancey bit of psychedelic drift called "The Best Mamgu Ever," to hear something more than unformed melodies and unstrung ideas. Underworld can reach higher ground. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Boring. Deadly Boring But Still Acceptable., October 16, 2007

By	Groove Holmes "Groove" (USA) - See all my reviews

Now don't get me wrong. I love this band. In fact I flew to New York a few weeks ago see them live as they only played a few dates in the US. I spent hundreds on airfare and hotels and such to finally see one of their legendary live sets. They were my second to last "holy grail" of bands that I need to see live. Now I only need to see Kraftwerk in concert and I'll be happy.

And they did not disappoint at all. It was awesome. They played nearly all the songs I wanted to hear. I was able to get this album a bit early because I pre-ordered it from a link they showed on screen after the show. And I got a cool T-Shirt to boot. Needless to say, I am a fan and I was super super excited to get this one.

But Oblivion With Bells is a departure for Underworld. It is "slooww" to say the least. I actually fast forwarded through tracks, which I would have never guessed me ever doing. Virtually nothing happens on tracks 8,9, and 10. Seriously, nothing. Thankfully a "token" beat comes in for the last track. I have since gone back and listened a couple more times since. And it has grown on me. But there are few beats to be heard on this record.

This is the album I would have expected Smith and Hyde to make after Darren Emerson departed. But with A Hundred days Off they kept the energy going from Beaucoup Fish and Second Toughest. It still had some fast, mean tracks like Dinosaur Adventure 3D.

But Oblivion is slowed down. Way down. Don't be fooled by Crocodiles. It is the non representative single. And it flows right into Beautiful Burnout nicely. But the beats and hooks are quite minimal. Almost like loops for Hyde to speak over. Nothing terribly innovative really.

Oblivion has nice sounds, great production and the expected stream of conscious Karl Hyde lyrics. In fact his lyrics are brought to the forefront like never before. Very much the focus of the songs this time around. And you can make them all out this time around.

But there are no break beat-ish tracks like Pearls Girl or Something Like A Mama on this. No ten minute build up tracks like Born Slippy/NUXX or Cups. Certainly no Cowgirl on this one. But hey, that's cool. Some of those tracks are over a decade old. Cowgirl is nearly 15 years old now (wow). We can't expect the same thing over and over from these guys. But just so you know, think Push Downstairs, not Push Upstairs for this record.

If you kept up with the River Run series, this has more in common with the third release.....slow building, even a bit dull but still Underworld.

Pick it up because you love Underworld. But expect something different.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars True Artists Experiment and Grow, October 17, 2007

By	Pixel Modern "TW57" (Alexandria, Virginia United States) - See all my reviews

After reading the first four reviews for this album, I decided that I wanted to hear the album for myself before making the purchase. Underworld's MySpace page gives you the opportunity to hear the complete tracks. My take, as a happy owner of seven commercial CDs that the lads have put out, is that I want to continue to experience their growth. I'll start with four stars. But who knows, through repeated listenings I may even decide that Oblivion... is my new five star favorite. Yes, it's ambient and experimental; and yes, you can tell it's Underworld. Sometimes, going along for a ride to a new destination yields knowledge for those open enough to make the trip without prior judgments.
I just bought the album. Wouldn't an artist that cranked out the same 'ol stuff, year after year, be stuck in a rut anyway? The nature of the universe is change, and I'm looking forward to regularly listening to how Underworld evolves.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars MId Tempo Beauty, October 17, 2007

By	Paul Orndorff - See all my reviews

I have been a tremendous fan of Underworld since the Cowgirl/Dark Train EP hit shelves all the way back in 1992 or so. To compare this new output with Dubnobass or Second Toughest is simply not fair. When has a band put together a string of 2 successive albums like that? Beaucoup Fish was a strong record, and to me, 100 Days Off was simply good, far from great.

This new record is a retreat from the pounding club beats, and why not? These 2 guys are pushing 50 and scoring movie soundtracks now. Whom is left to please? I would imagine the average age of some club kid is too young to even know Underworld and their greatness. There is no reason to appeal to kids 30+ years their junior.

The waves of synths on this record is simply incredible. Think a long and protracted session of Cups and you have this record. The usual stream of nonsense from Karl is present, accept this time you can hear it. This is a marked improvement from 100 Days and, to a longtime fan like myself, a graceful way to age for this pair.