The Chemical Brothers

On Push the Button, The Chemical Brothers’ stylistic pendulum swings away from “psychedelic” towards a “party” vibe, with mixed results. Q-Tip’s lethargic cadence sinks the dynamics-challenged “Galvanize,” and the token Eastern chug of “Marvo Ging” reeks of so much rote experimentalism that it begs for a vicious remixing. Yet group members Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons still manage to get off some good ones: Anna-Lynne Williams’s desert isle vocals dissolving into the percussive, droning grotto of “Hold Tight London”; and the sublime “Surface to Air,” which sounds like a New Order remix of Kraftwerk covering the Strokes’ “The Modern Age.” Awww — it’s The Chemical Brothers’ first honest-to-God crapshoot.