The Music Album: “Strength in Numbers”

When I heard the first Music album I was absolutely floored. It's still one of my favorite albums by any new band from the last ten years or so. I thought Welcome to the North was fairly good as well. When it was good, it was amazing - when it was bad it sucked hard (not much in between). Strenght in Numbers, to me, falls somewhere in the middle. It's not quite as rock oriented as the first album but it doesn't have as many clinkers as the second album. It's very "dance" oriented for lack of a better term. Almost every song has a pulsing beat that if you were to see live would keep you moving constantly - on record though it can get a little tedious. The thing I like about the album though is that there isn't a lot of filler and songs I skip over (like on Welcome to the North). Some songs are obviously better than others - The Spike, The Left Side, Fire, No Weapon Sharper Than Will and the "hidden track" No Danger are all incredible. I think Fire is the best song they've done - up there with Take the Long Road. Overall, if you like The Music you will like this - especially if you liked the feel of the second album. However, if you don't already like The Music this won't convert you. If you've never heard them, start with the first album, then get this. It's definitely an overall better album than Welcome to the North, but doesn't quite flow as well or consistently as the first album.

The Music is back with their third album "Strength In Numbers". This is a significant departure from "Welcome To The North" and "The Music". From the opening title track "Strength In Numbers", the band has virtually pushed the guitars that dominated their first and second albums to the back and brought forth the synthesizers and drum loops, making for a more electronic feel to the music.

This is no surprise given that the band has used producer Flood (New Order, Soft Cell, Nick Cave, Erasure, Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, U2, Smashing Pumpkins, a-ha, The Killers, PJ Harvey and Goldfrapp).

The question is, does it work? Yes and no. For songs like "Strength In Numbers", "Drugs", "Idle", "Fire", "Vision" and "Inconceivable Odds" it works very well. The hidden, instrumental track, "No Danger" is also good. The rest is adequate filler.

"Stength In Numbers" is not exactly what I expected from this band. I was hoping for more. Still, it's above average, and I look forward to their next cd.

For The Music fans, I'd recommend buying it, but I still feel that "Welcome To The North" is the band's best work thus far.

I'm kind of surprised at the other reviews here. This is a GREAT comeback album, from start to finish. Certainly nothing to hate. Music critics seem to be slamming it though, and everyone else is ignoring it - I don't see exactly what for. Just about every track will have you moving your body - someone tell me what's wrong with that?

I will admit compared to The Music's other albums, its quality lies somewhere between their debut "The Music" and "Welcome to the North". If you're looking for ample guitars as found on their previous releases, you'll be disappointed to hear them replaced with programmed loops and drum machines. As far as musical structure, it's pretty much just verse-chorus-verse.

But for what it is, this album is solid. Key tracks include The Spike, Drugs, The Left Side, Fire, and The Last One. "Fire" has to be one of the most energetic songs they've ever recorded...period! Additionally, if you purchase the UK pressing or Japanese 2-disc pressing (NOT the international release), you'll be treated to the bonus track "No Danger" - an 8-minute euphoric instrumental similar to the likes of The Walls Get Smaller and New Instrumental.

The only problem I have with this album is the MASTERING. With a top-notch pair of headphones, it sounds like a mess. There is no deep bass or any crisp highs. It has that "wall-of-sound" sound to it.

With all things considered, The Music continue to be a highly underrated UK band, and this is without a doubt their most ambitious album to date. An album and change of sound that not everyone may like, but it's my guilty pleasure of 2008.

And by "Music fans" I mean the band, no fans of music in general. Just thought I'd clarify that.

I picked the bands first CD as a recommendation from a friend, and it's one of my favorites. I personally didn't think much of "Welcome to the North" at first, but after a few listens through, I do like that one also, just not as much as their first album, which, in my opinion is really good, start to finish.

For the new/last CD, I was a bit surprised at the different production on the whole thing. Not a bad thing at all, just different. The musical style/lyrical style is still there. which is good. It just seems to me to be a bit over-produced.

Where "The Music" is great to just sit around and listen to with headphones, "Strength in Numbers" sounds to me to be more of the type you listen to in the car, good driving music, but lacking the real depth of the first album.

Then I listened to it straight through on my `phones. The tight production really shines when you can hear it. I personally don't have a high-end home stereo, my "high end" is a Digital Audio source connected to a headphone amp/DAC to audiophile quality headphones. But anyway, I have a new appreciation for "Strength" after really listening to it.

Overall, if you're a Music fan, you have to own "Strength". If you're not a big fan, or heard something of theirs somewhere and are looking for something to pickup, get "The Music" first. If you like it as much as I do, you'll get "Strength" later on.

I'd have thought that after such a long time away from the studio that a group of muso's would bring the experiences and practices they'd had in the intervening four years or so to create something 'different'. But obviously The Music don't think like I do....which probably explains why I'm not a muso!

'Strength in Numbers' strikes me as a mash-up of their first albums. Take the mood of their debut and add a dash of the disposal epic idea of Welcome to the North and see what you get. I reckon we got just another Music album - competent but not brilliant.

Whilst I can hear the influence of Orbital though Hartnell's involvement in the production through the hard edged electronica that runs through many tracks there's no sense of heart and space that such big beats and riffs should inspire.

And here I blame above all else the appalling mastering.....this album has all the dynamic range of a bashed in bin lid. Loud but flat....and just way off key.