Bomb the Bass – In the Sun

Where 2008’s Future Chaos saw Bomb the Bass stripping away the clutter to deliver a sharp-edged, techno-tinged variant of their breakbeat/hip-hop template, In the Sun is a more sprawling affair. This is chiefly due to the increased role of singer and co-producer Paul Conboy. Since sampling became a legal and financial nightmare, Tim Simenon has looked elsewhere to plug the gap in the outfit’s sound, and settled here on a more song-based approach.

The results are mixed. The LP has a strangely wistful quality, which blunts attempts (as on Wandering Star) to revive the compellingly kinetic feel of former glories. Yet by the same token, Conboy’s vocals imbue tracks like Time Falls Apart with an uncharacteristic emotional depth: the blend of chopped-up brass loops and dreamy chords evokes Moderat’s combination of melancholy atmospheres and rhythmic complexity. In any case, BTB deserve credit for their resilience and determination to adapt. [Sam Wiseman]