Dark & Long

AMG Review of Dark & Long

Keir Langley
All Music Guide

A smart and solid tie-in to their stellar re-debut album Dubnobasswithmyheadman and a sound so well-chilled that even Underworld themselves couldn't get enough of it. The title cut, "Dark & Long," is much as it is on the full-length: a sly, seductive and edgy piece that takes a less-is-more approach with dry vocals and restrained tension. The group's blossoming strength lies in careful use of build and mood rather than elaborately ornate song structure. Darren Emerson, Rick Smith, and Karl Hyde all have a good ear for grooves and know how long to let them breathe before adding layers. This is especially evident in the lush and simple "Dark Train" and further exemplified by the disc's 20-minute epic finale, "215 Miles," which is beautiful, energizing, mysterious, and engaging from start to finish. The trio had found themselves in a rich and mostly uncharted territory, where exploration seemed especially easy and, in this case, especially rewarding. At a time when electronica was still learning how to walk, Underworld was already shuffling, skipping, slithering, and sprinting out of the starting gates.