One of the problems with the album is that after the super-solid beginning the second half or so of the album just doesn't compare.

In some ways, the release is validated almost completely by the inclusion of a bonus disc that includes all previous singles from LCD Soundsystem, most of which feel more thought-out and slamming than much of what resides on the album itself.

While it's all produced and performed immaculately, it just feels like too many of the rough edges have been smoothed off.

Midnite Vultues kind of sounds like an album Prince would have made if he were more interested in being a geek than carressing his own ego.

If you've listened to any amount of industrial music at all, chances are that you've already heard about every variation of mid-tempo, snarling track, and unfortunately several of those make an appearence on this disc as well.

While the group are certainly impressive in performance, they can't break free from an almost mechanical feel that lingers and really holds the album back.

[Most] of the album just sort of swirls through some nicely-produced, but ultimately not very engaging sonic fluff.

For every section that locks into something juicy, it's offset with three others that are just plain bad (or close to it).

I don't fault them for trying some new things, but the results are mixed at best.

It's a bit harsh of me to say that there's nothing interesting going on in Player, Player because that's certainly not the case. Instead, the problem seems to be with contructing the songs themselves.

If you enjoy ultra mellow jazz meanderings with the occasional slinky vocals that sound like they could be playing in the background at a mainstream coffee chain, Ma Fleur will provide in spades.

Discombobulated and downright clunky, Made In The Dark is a bit of a step back for Hot Chip.

Radio-friendly pop music that sometimes sounds like Garbage, and other times even more playful.

The motions are there, but Beat Pyramid lacks real true depth.

C'Mon Let's Pretend overall is a passable album, but the riffs just aren't nearly as catchy, and the group doesn't quite seem to have a command on their sound yet.

Over the course of 12 tracks and almost 50 minutes of music, there are hardly any dynamics to hold the listener's attention.

If you take away the 9 minutes of their already-released big single, you could probably squeeze a tight EP out of Louden Up Now, but as a full-length [it] starts with a bang and ends with sort of a whimper. Fun to filler in 53 minutes.

Although there are some moments of greatness on the disc, it feels more like a cathartic vent-session than a well thought-out release.

It's sort of a bi-polar album of sorts, as it probably could have been cut down a lot in length and made into a concise gem of an album, but then you'd lose the odd atmosphere of the rest (which will either drive you nuts or space you out).

Basically, Cansei De Ser Sexy sounds like a thirty minute dance party full of shouted vocal lines and vapid lyrics.

Much of the sharp rhythm programming and quick dynamic changes that marked her previous effort is replaced with more straightforward 4/4 beats and relentless dirty basslines that unfortunately repeat themselves to the point of annoyance.

The first album from the group that feels downright tedious to me in places, as well as the first one that feels like they're spinning their wheels a bit.

Minus a couple tracks on the release (including the very Luscious Jackson-esque "Roll The Dice"), this release is more like the female version of Air or Stereolab-lite.

If I didn't know better, I'd say that the duo was jumping on the electro (the trend that keeps on giving) bandwagon, but there are songs on the disc (like the album-titled "Black Cherry") that suggest more of a logical progression in sound, mixing the more breathy sounds of old with a touch of the more electronic-infected sounds of the new release.

If the group can somehow capture the more experimental and even odd edge of their different mixes, I think they might have something going. When they're just doing their thing, they simply sound like far too many other bands that are just trying to milk the legacy of the Jesus And Mary Chain a bit longer.

I'm not sure if it's the lack of a clear-cut conceptual idea or something else, but the 11 songs on the release just seem to plow along through waters that the group has already rowed many times before.

It's the sort of release that metal fans will probably like because it offers plenty of chunk-tastic riffs (that aren't too far off from newer, more polished work from Helmet), but dub fans will probably steer clear from because of it's focus on said heavy-fisted bombast.

Unless you're a big fan of the group, though, you'll probably find Do It! more than a little frustrating.