Having fully made their case with , kept on course with the equally fine . The hints of lounge and Vegas were even more explicit here -- the cocktail artwork on the CD, the fact that one particularly bitter number is called Again, though, these weren't the gauche cliches of characters like , but signposts of a vicious, cutting quality in lyrics and music. 's purring rasp again serves as one of the band's chief qualities, perfectly suited to the sassy, snarling burn of songs like and Though backing vocals aren't specifically credited, it's adding the high parts here and there, such as the effectively creepy chorus of once again handle the production/engineering combination, and, unsurprisingly, the whole album is a tightly wound effort that sounds like it's going to explode every second. In an interesting switch, and a demonstration of the band's increasing reach, took over the duties with the sampler, while concentrated not only on his own bass work, but organ and vibes as well. was the arguable standout, and while again many critics saw 's slurring sneer as being the new incarnation of , that's a lazy connection. 's singing oozes its own attitude, while the band isn't reinventing / as much as finding its own fast, bass-led charge. Certainly, though, the German motorik touches both bands share have their place on -- half the time on is laying down a smart chug and both are right there with him, especially with 's keyboard glaze. And at one point -- -- 's distorted rasp does for once sound exactly like the Mancunian master. ~ Ned Raggett