THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS PUSH THE BUTTON ALBUM ASTRALWERKS, VIRGIN, EMI RELEASE: JANUARY 21, 2005 REVIEW: FEBRUARY 23, 2005

In the mid-90:s, Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons set the mood for a couple of extremely cool summers in my world. I never wanted to exit planet dust or stop dancing to those block rocking beats. But then, we grew apart. Sure, I listened to "Surrender" and "Come with Us", but the big beats hysteria was over and I didn't fully appreciate the roads Rowlands and Simons wanted to travel - out in the world, to the Orient and Africa, as well as down in their dust covered vinyl collections.
Now, The Chemical Brothers are communicating on my wave length again, but eight years too late. I really want to like "Push the Button" as much as it is worth liking, but my inability to do so has kept me from writing this, long overdue, review. Now, I give up and give it to you straight up:
"Push the Button" is the most coherent, well rounded up album The Chemical Brothers have put out since "Dig Your Own Hole". The eastern influences are there in opening, single track, "Galvanize" - also one of two rap tracks - but otherwise we're talking good old electronic dance music with some great beats (just listen to "The Big Jump". In the up beat and down tempo tracks that follow we can hear echos of everything from Prince, via house, to the indierock-scene and beyond, showing that the brothers still are curious enough to continue putting out albums for many years to come. The collabs with Tim Burgess and Kele Okereke works out fine - as always and the album is worth several listens, where new things can be discovered.
But - there is something lacking. The Chemical Brothers were the perfect duo to bring forth dance music into the mainstream in the 90:s. Their relevance in the year 2005 feels somewhat less obvious. They no longer create tracks that boggle and blow your mind. Danceable again? Yes. Sounding new? Nope. Sorry.

KALLE MALMSTEDT