Leftfield: Rhythm And Stealth : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Leftfield's 1995 debut, Leftism, was a high-energy, banging masterpiece that redefined British house music. For their sequel, Rhythm and Stealth, producers Paul Daley and Neil Barnes trade Leftism's euphoria for a trip through the haunted house. In a year in which the Chemical Brothers and Basement Jaxx have released sunny homages to garage and acid house, Leftfield welcome you to the dark side.

Daley and Barnes still know how to design a gripping ride: Like a diverse club night, Rhythm and Stealth pingpongs from funk to hip-hop to techno to ambient whirs and fizz. The group hones its electrodub sensibilities on tracks like the lumbering "Dusted," featuring British hip-hopper Roots Manuva, and the gliding "Reno's Prayer." Rhythm and Stealth's thumping beats take a sinister turn with the low-end rumble of "Phat Planet" and "Double Flash." The album's jumble of epic sounds is a blessing and a curse: Rhythm and Stealth never develops a sustained, full-on groove, but it makes for a mind-melding headphone adventure. (RS 824)

MATT HENDRICKSON