Oblivion with Bells - Underworld
Underworld's most melodic and lowkey record is a fascinating, sprawling display of the groups artistic value.
When I first looked at the cover of Oblivion With Bells, I thought it would be a return to form for the group. The similarities with the cover of their “debut” record are pretty evident and therefore it is easy to assume this album has the dark, gritty club centric sound of their 1994 classic. In reality, this could not be further from the truth.
Being quite frank, I did not like Oblivion with Bells on my first listen. I thought it lacked the spectacular climaxes, iconic sound design, and the frantic vocals from Karl Hyde which their earlier releases had. But after relistening it more carefully, I think this is easily one of their best post-Emmerson records.
You should bear in mind that this is not the typical Underworld record. You can’t really play this at a club or a rave. Instead, the focus here is in leaving the listener immersed in rich melodies and slow-building, gorgeous synths. Right from the intro track, Crocodile, the beautiful arpeggios introduce the great bass and give you a taste of what the rest of the album has to offer.
It then seamlessly transitions into Beautiful Burnout, arguably one of my favorite songs on the record. The multiple layers, from the lead synth punches to the background melodies and even the bass are put together amazingly. It feels really progressive, all without being too flashy.
In that song, Hyde delivers one of his most unique performances, with a low, calm tone, almost as if he’s speaking and with reverb. This brings up perhaps the most divise part of Oblivion with Bells: The vocals. Hyde’s style varies drastically from frantic to downright spoken word on some tracks. While I think I overall prefer his fast paced style present in their 90s era, I believe that this shift in technique brang some intresting results. I simply love his dark, robotic lyrics on Faxed Invitation, and even when he returns to his traditional singing on Boy, Boy, Boy, it is just as or even more enjoyable.
When analysing this record however, we should really look at Rick’s production, which is the true star of the show. Percussion here is very simple, almost non-present, which allows the synths to shine. Nearly each song has an amazing moment where the pads and instrumentals just click. In no place is this more clear than To Heal, one of their best interludes and one of their most alluring tracks. It is two minutes of pure, utter bliss, and definetly one of the highlights on here.
The other instrumental songs are simply brilliant. Glam Bucket has an awe inducing progression, with gorgeous delayed keys and pads. Meanwhile, Cuddle Bunny Vs. Celtic Villages, while having a goofy name, is arguably one their most mesmerizing ambient pieces, with a soothing, muffled synth that reminds me of Quaristice era Autechre.
In my opinion, the best mix of everything Oblivion with Bells has to offer both instrumentally and vocally is Holding the Moth. It is honestly the perfect Underworld song, with a great piano climax, lyrics that fit the classic raunchy imagery of their early records and great layering that make it incredibly addicting.
A close second would be the outro, Best Mamgu Ever. What a way to close an album. Such a beautiful, entrancing song, with an addicting piano loop, catchy bassline and chilling guitar licks. Really comes to show how the band evolved from their early synthpop roots.
I believe this album works better together. It is really well paced and each one of the songs transitions well into eachother. Despite the differences in tone for a lot of them, they still work together surprisingly well. If you ask me, this is witchcraft from the duo.
In spite of everything I’ve praised, there is still some minor flaws. Sometimes, the songs drag for too long, and the progression takes quite a few to unfold. It is an acquired taste, and therefore, it shouldn’t be your first Underworld album.
In conclusion, this is a really unique album, and a criminaly underrated one as well. Some of their best work is in here, the melodies are gorgeous and the whole experience is thoroughly enjoyable and amazing. I recommend it to fans of the band, but be sure to check some of their other stuff before checking this one out