release date: Mar. 4, 1996
format: cd (1998 reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Underworld
lable. JBO - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Juanita / Kiteless / To Dream of Love" - 2. "Banstyle / Sappys Curry" - 3. "Confusion the Waitress" - 4. "Rowla" - 5. "Pearls Girl" (4 / 5) - 8. "Stagger"
4th studio album by Underworld and the second as an electronic trio. The band continue its explorations into trance but also with hints of breakbeat. All three members of Karl Hyde, Rick Smith, and Darren Emmerson are credited all compositions.
It's a rather experimental release where the trio adds conventional instrumentation to its predominantly electronic style by the use of loops and they appear to explore more on this when comparing to the Dubnobasswithmyheadman from 1994, which on the other hand stands as a more coherent electronic album but Second Toughest in the Infants reveals a distinct trait of balancing the pace of slow meditative parts with bolder energetic outburst, which is a dynamic recipe they would stick to on following releases.
The album was not an immediate favourite, but I have come to reevaluate my initial thoughts more than once when speaking of this particular album. The thing is, with this, they seem on the right track away from early experimental electronic techno and trance with traits of an original sound of progressive house, and this particular album has always been there in the outskirts of great albums and it's a true grower once you let it fully unfold.
The album is the trio's second electronic release on which they show that they know believe in their new-found style and this is their first truly successful originally sounding studio album, imho.
The album was released to critical acclaim, it peaked at number #9 on the UK albums chart list and it has been included in Mojo's "100 Greatest Albums of Our lifetime" and in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" - the so far only by Underworld.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, NME 4 / 5 stars ]
