Clubroot - Clubroot

The obvious comparisons are going to be made here and I'm sure the producer himself would admit more than just a glancing nod to the man who is Burial.

Unlike the first Burial album, this is not breaking any particularly new ground but that doesn't diminish the quality of the album. These are incredibly well crafted tunes that are impeccably produced and some of the sounds used are just breathtaking.

From the first track you get drawn into a sonic landscape not unlike that of Aphex Twins 'selected ambient works 2' - a minute of layered synths and reverb before the bass and percussion kick in and we realise that this is a dubstep album that is to be enjoyed as much from the armchair as the club setting.

The next 4 tracks build on the ideas and atmosphere of the first track. The bass is SUBterranean- like shackleton at his very best- if you ever want to test the isolation of your speakers forward to track 3 and listen for your walls rattling. If there is going to be a vinyl release these tracks would make for an incredible first side- just unrelentless.

As with any great album though the pace has to give way at some stage and the listener is given some respite with track 6 before things get back to it with the following track. For me track 8 is the weakest track and the album loses its momentum somewhat towards the end- you find yourself wanting to skip back to the beggining of the album, but all in all this is a very engaging album and one which I have played to death since it arrived a few weeks ago.

Yes this is a derivative album, but, unlike many groundbreaking albums, the ideas and sounds used are cohesive and are crafted into well structured songs that can be enjoyed in isolation or as part of the whole. If this isn't my album of the year I can't wait to hear what is going to better it.