The boys Ford and Shaw return with their second album, attempting to build on the huge promise shown in debut ‘Attack Decay Sustain Release’. This they largely do, though it’s not easy to get away from the glittery, Indie-powered guestlist, that sometimes threatens to smother the music with stardust. Sometimes the feeling persists that SMD are at their best when doing their own instrumentals and samples, as they do with a Todd Rundgren freak-out in ‘Synthesize’. When the likes of Hot Chip singer Alexis and Beth Ditto are introduced to the mix, the results are intriguing, but lack the stamp of Simian authenticity, the outright hedonism of tracks like ‘The Hustler’ tamed somewhat. That said, there’s still a lot of pleasure to be taken from this album, and tracks like ‘Cream Dreams’ and ‘Audacity Of Huge’ deserve plenty of repeated play. There’s certainly nothing wrong with this Mobile Disco, as long as it sticks to its first principles.
4 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Ben Hogwood
