Underworld was my top musical discovery of 2012. My fiance tends to make me compilations of music periodically, and I was enthralled over the songs "Something Like A Mama" and "Pearls Girl" when he included them on two mix CDs for me last year. After investigating more songs by Underworld through YouTube and additional mixes my beloved made for me, I have since bought three of the band's albums: A Hundred Days Off (2002), Beaucoup Fish (1999; I reviewed Fish late last year on Epinions), and now the subject of this review, Second Toughest in the Infants (1996). None have disappointed me, including Infants. The unusual album title name, I learned, refers to a comment that band member Rick Smith's nephew made about his progress at an infant school. For those unacquainted with Underworld, obscure language references are the norm, even in their music.

The album kicks off with a 16-and-a-half minute epic called "Juanita." The song is divided into two suites titled "Kiteless" and "To Dream of Love." "Kiteless" lasts just under nine minutes and begins with an aerial feeling accompanied by multiple levels of fast percussion and atmospheric synthesizers. Later, an electronically altered, monotone voice sings about flying and paper wings, joining with all the other elements I just mentioned. Indeed, the aspect I like most about Underworld is how they create layers upon layers of sound, typically one at a time with other layers gradually introduced, and make it all fit together. As someone sensitive to, and appreciative of, polyphony, it's a real treat to the ears. Since they tend to use the same basic underlying rhythm for quite a few minutes at a time, there's a certain level of repetition, but it never feels that way because of all the different layers intersecting together after a bit. Following the voice I mentioned, a strong guitar riff is added two minutes into the song, giving it another adrenaline and dopamine charge (this is really a great workout song). At six minutes, there is a smooth segue to another rhythmic stage, shedding all the earlier layers, at least briefly, and thus begins what must be "To Dream of Love."  Here, the percussion is similar to the sound made when someone taps quickly against tin foil or thin sheets of metal. Of course, that is not all - other electronic sounds build with it, and the speed maintains itself. Toward the end, band member Karl Hyde sings in a somewhat reserved, but still elevated, tone about waters and sounds. "Juanita" closes with chipmunk voices talking about different colors: "it's black, it's yellow, it's blue, it's red, it's silver," and so forth. I wonder if this is a synesthesia reference? Whatever the reason for such inclusions, the song itself is a brilliant electronic music effort that captures my attention at every point.

The second song on the album is almost as long: just over 15 minutes. Instead of being divided into suites per se, it's divided with a slash: "Banstyle/Sappys Curry." The "Banstyle" portion has a soft, relaxing, whirly synth with quieter, yet still fast-paced, percussion elements. One reviewer on Amazon named Chris declared that Underworld is great at making songs that are somehow both "hypnotic AND energetic at the same time": he is correct, and this is probably the group's best example at such a song. Gentle singing is also included. The track transitions after six minutes into "Sappys Curry," the title of which refers to a race horse. Here, a plucky guitar melody predominates; then thumpy beats; then a sound that is comparable to the one made when you fall into water on the NES game Castlevania: Simon's Quest; then a separate acoustic guitar line; then, touches of a cymbal; then, some silky singing; then, finally, a complex crescendo before fading (what did I tell you about their gradual polyphony!). Altogether, one of the most trippy, amazing, and hard-to-describe auditory experiences your brain will ever encounter.

I can forgive Underworld for not sustaining this level of inspiration. The next two songs are much simpler and less awe-inducing, by contrast.  "Confusion the Waitress" starts out promisingly enough with deep reverb, some jazzy, bluesy touches, and spoken word "she said" intrigue. With high expectations, though, I think this song never reaches its full potential: it doesn't really "develop" like Underworld's best tunes, feeling like it's stuck in neutral. I anticipated more from the outset. "Rowla" has a more 1980s, old school electronica sound, but as with "Confusion," there aren't enough interesting transitions or blends to inspire me the way "Juanita" and "Banstyle/Sappys Curry" did.

"Pearls Girl" is where things go back up again. Another race horse reference, "Pearls Girl" has somewhat of a different, even fuller production sound thanks to Mike Nielson's crisp engineering. That said, it's still unmistakably Underworld brilliance. It begins on a more ambient note before thunderous and heart-pumping tribal drums hit and give a rush of energy. Eventually, stream-of-consciousness lyrics pour through and make for a positive frenzy of auditory activity. The last few minutes are a calculated comedown into calmer territory, concluding with the ambient sounds found at the start. Another incredible achievement by Underworld, for sure.

Next, "Air Towel" - like "Confusion" and "Rowla" - is less expansive, but going against the opinion of most reviewers of this album, I actually prefer its textures, which remind me of various floaty 3D patterns and motions. Moreover, it doesn't suggest something upon which it fails to deliver. "Blueski" is the briefest piece on Infants - more like an interlude - and it just has some riffs without any layers or motions.

Infants ends in a surprising way: "Stagger" is very sad, lonely, and even a bit despairing. Stripped down to little beyond a piano and Hyde's singing of abstract lyrics, it's the most melodic and directly emotional of all the material on the album, and thus probably the most accessible to conventional music listeners, even in spite of the hard-to-penetrate lyrics and the darker mood.

Though not consistent, and though I still prefer Beaucoup Fish, I can see why Second Toughest in the Infants is so highly respected among electronic music critics and enthusiasts. 4/5 stars.

Recommended: Yes