By RUSSELL BAILLIE
(Herald rating: * * *)
Psyence Fiction, the first album by this electronica supergroup, didn't turn out for the best despite the reputations of its leading lights DJ Shadow and James Lavelle, and a list of guest vocalists which read like a who's who of the "Cool Britannia" period.
On this one, Shadow has left the fold and returned to making his own rather good albums.
That leaves Lavelle at the helm with a partnership in the recurring falsetto voice of one Richard File.
But the invites have gone out again and this has contributions from Brian Eno, Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, Massive Attack's 3D, Jarvis Cocker and half the Stone Roses.
Add a sample list which runs from Motown (Ball of Confusion on the early Eye for an Eye) to Joy Division (the beat of She's Lost Control invigorates Panic Attack) and you have an album that will always struggle with the sum-of-its-parts equation.
But that said, if it never coalesces into the epic it wants to be, it sure delivers some great scenes.
Among them are the aforementioned Eye for an Eye, which sports the first great bassline among a few here; there's the sweet menace of the Homme-powered electro-rock Safe in Mind; near the end comes the majestic string-landed Stone Roses revival that is Reign with its studio reunion of vocalist Ian Brown and bassist Mani.
The men from Unkle again prove they know how to put a dreamteam together, but while often impressive we're again left with the feeling it should all be so much better.
Label: Mo' Wax/ Island
