Bleep

Following a monumental lineup change and sonic reinvention that would see them become one of the most celebrated dance acts in the UK, Underworld continued in their new mode with their fourth album Second Toughest In The Infants plunging properly into the pulse of rave. With this album, Underworld Mk2’s full dancefloor evolution was complete, and part of that must be owed to the runaway success of ‘Born Slippy (Nuxx)’. Released in 1995 then skyrocketing months before the album dropped a year later thanks to its fateful feature in the film Trainspotting, it not only topped the charts and burned its ironically anthemic chorus into the (inter)national consciousness, but solidified the stream of consciousness lyricism and thumping four to the floor that Second Toughest In The Infants would thrive in.

The album crackles with a raw energy, its brittle beats and occasionally abrasive textures conveying a grimy, pirate radio-esque quality, while contrasting the Romford toughness are moments of ecstasy balanced by the occasional melancholic and lowkey soothe. The opening trio ‘Juanita : Kiteless : To Dream Of Love’ gets right to business, smashing along and gradually layering the drum patterns as Underworld increase the intensity. It takes four minutes before a melody even begins to light up this rhythmic affair, instead populated by an electrified mantric spoken word.

Lush breakbeats cool down from this relentless introduction; though ‘Banstyle / Sappys Curry’ is no less gargantuan in length, it keeps building that euphoric feeling as the beats shift in skipping stone movements, dissolving into twangy acoustic guitar loops and splashes. ‘Rowla’ amplifies the album’s constant thump with razed synth arps that only grow sharper and wilder as the track goes on, while ‘Pearl’s Girl’ brings a fiery, punkish drive with its sandpapered vocal distortion and propulsive breaks.

Underworld continued to strike gold in their new form, with Second Toughest In The Infants being among their best work.