Following the politicized culinary excursions of 'Plat Du Jour' and his acclaimed collaboration with Roisin Murphy, the boy Herbert is back with a brand-new LP that eschews the more outlandish Coke-crushing antics, in favour of a comparatively straight-up (though no less stimulating) blast of funk blasted perfection. Opening through the jaunty cast of 'Something Isn't Right', Herbert immediately asserts his intention to appeal on a broader level - with gorgeous strings, fantastic vocals (courtesy of Dani Siciliano, Neil Thomas and Dave Okumu) and an utterly insistent rhythm bursting forth like a soul-obsessed version of his 'Second Hand Sounds' remix collection. Still flushed from the Murphy collaboration, 'Something Isn't Right' sees Herbert aiming for the more discerning dance-floor and hitting paydirt with considerable aplomb. Similarly, the likes of 'Moving Train', 'The Movers and The Shakers' and 'Harmonise' all sprint past in a blur of soaring strings, slinky vocals and irresistible beats - making Herbert the shoe-in for disco-king 2006... Elsewhere, 'Down' is a drafty coalition of cold-water synths, itchy beats and sugared vocals, 'We're In Love' is a masterclass of wide-screen orchestration, whilst 'Those Feelings' is a breathy ode to you-know-what. Proving that his esoteric bone is still firmly in place, 'Just Once' is a patchwork of fan contributions left on an answering machine following a plea for unusual sounds last year - and rather than become an uncohesive amalgam of found-sound snippets, it is in fact a gorgeous slab of patchwork lustre that reveals more on every listen.
