Simian Mobile Disco - Temporary Pleasure

Two years ago amidst the usual deluge of dire dance music that perforates the airwaves, we were saved. This reviewer, like many, had found a new God. One that combined typical house, acid house and electro. Pop too. Funk too sure. Simian Mobile Disco had appeared seemingly from nowhere with that video Vice magazine just went on and on and on about, ‘Hustler’. It had loads of girls in a circle kissing. It was not clever at all. It was pure rubbish but the tune itself was an absolute whopper. It sounded bigger and badder than anything the Chemical Brothers had done for years. It sounded like a f**king drug party in my head that contained every nuance of cool and sleaze and sex one could ever wish for. You could imagine hip kids in Brooklyn or Paris getting off to it. Kids in South America or even Sweden.

Perhaps, it was too good. The album, Attack Decay Sustain Release, was an excellent effort overall. The hits kept coming with ‘It’s the Beat’, ‘Tits & Acid’ and of course, ‘I Believe’. ‘Hustler’ was still the best though. By a long shot.

As well as the writing, those hooks; the production was first rate. Everything swooped and snapped so cleanly, so majestically, each track savouring its own very unique and specific life. The same can be said then for this their second proper album, Temporary Pleasure. The production is very clean and clear. There is no hazy stuff here, no shrieking distortion or any of those lingering afterthoughts that always lead one to say things like, “um yeah, good album alright BUT it all sounded a bit the same.”

Although, Simian have certainly become an acquired taste. The majority of this album is very poppy. There are guest appearances scattered everywhere, the names reading like a list of the WHO'S HOTTEST RIGHT NOW - SFA's Gruff Rhys on ‘Cream Dream’, Beth Ditto on ‘Cruel Intentions’, Jamie Liddell on ‘Off the Map’, and on and on and on. So Simian have some street cred it would seem. Their draw here, for those so inclined, is certainly worth the buck. Rhys' effort is one of the standout tracks, as is track nine, ‘Ambulance’. It sounds like proper dance; squealing and ticking, slapping and moaning. It's terrifying and grim but explosive and domineering. A monster of a track. Certainly a soon to be live favourite.

But there are simply too few of these behemoth tracks. And as good as the production is and believe me, it's f**king outrageous, it really is a pity they haven’t developed more of these harder tunes....while of course still attaching those groovy pop hooks. It's asking a lot, I know but Simian could do with a bit more of an edge here and there.

It leads Temporary Pleasures to come close to perfection....perhaps. But a tweak here, and there, less bowing to the commercial masses, less attachment of superstar guest vocals and maybe, just maybe, their next release could be a contender for album of the year.