Underworld, with bells on.

Underworld hasn't been the same since Emerson said goodbye and wobbled off on his own. They've since devolved a bit, crumpled to a simpler level, it seems. Not that they weren't always a bit repetitive, but I'm just not getting the same kick out of them that I got with *Dirty Epic*... and even the cleverness of _Beaucoup Fish_.That said, *Crocodile*, the first single, isn't all bad. It's certainly bends and flexes more than their sparkly *Two Months Off*. From anyone else I'd let it slide, but it's trancey thump leaves me a bit bored. _Oblivion With Bells_ shows that original Underworld duo has thankfully not sunk back into the electropop sludge of their earlier days--but Emerson-less, they seem to lack fuller, challenging sound.I'll still be listening to the album quite a bit. _A Hundred Days Off_ ground against my senses, but one day I lay sprawled on the floor and I could hear the incessant chorus of *Two Months Off* in my head--I had to throw it in for a listen, and I came out a happier man. I'm laid up with insomnia now, just chilling to _Oblivion With Bells_ now, and it's all good.