The Chemical Brothers Further (Parlophone) The always intriguing sonic pharmacists Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands have crafted a mellower Chemical Brothers album, as one might expect with Simons having just hit 40 and Rowlands not far behind. Thankfully they haven't matured too sensibly and Further, their seventh album, still yields flashes of the bravado of youth. Usually there's a list of guest artists on a Chemical Brothers album, but not on this one. Free from composing to fit the whims of collaborators, the duo focus on pushing the limits of their favourite instrument - the studio - while managing to find a cohesion that often escaped previous albums. It sounds like they've been listening to The Boo Radley's Everything's Alright Forever, the greatest album that failed to set the world on fire in 1992. No bad thing. Icy synths, basslines, tonalities, textures, and digital effects are manipulated into eight soundscapes sprinkled with angel dust which compare favourably to the best material of the Chemicals' late 1990s halcyon days. There are other influences: The Boo Radley's more famous contemporaries My Bloody Valentine, Kraftwerk, Eno and Chicago house. But in the main, it's the sound of the Chemicals confidently being themselves. Another World is blessed with crunchy power chords, while Escape Velocity builds up into a groove that recalls one of their greatest multi-tracked workouts, Star Guitar. Amid this generally contemplative work, there's at least one chance to dance like it's 1999. Horse Power bangs out those compulsive, repetitive beats of yesteryear's Ibiza, while sounding remarkably fresh. The Chemicals still have the alchemy. No star guests this time, but four stars for enduring brilliance.