Scale

Think of it as avant-garde composer John Cage trying his hand at disco and getting it right.

Though Herbert has outdone himself and matches his ambitions with his achievements, the songs are unmistakably his and Siciliano's, sounding like no one else, twisting and swinging and drifting with optimum vibrancy.

It's too early to call Scale a classic, but ... Herbert has achieved one of the deftest balances of pop music and politics heard in some time.

A lean, focused record, Scale is Herbert's best record to date, and a must-buy for any dance-music fan.

Herbert has outdone himself when it comes to his usual conceptual three-ring circus. But, crucially, this time he's put all that theoretical effort into his most memorable songs.

Inch by inch -- concept, production, groove -- Scale will measure your desires and dole out exactly what you want: depth, politics, creativity, or club-ready curios.

Some of his recent work has prioritized conceptual aims at the expense of his formidable musical talent, but Scale strikes a balance with songs as melodic and inviting as any he's ever composed.

Herbert sneakily subverts Scale's apocalyptic thematic thread into something warm and danceable.

Their politicism is woven so masterfully into the lush electronic pop medium that you’re never coerced into consideration of any one issue.

Vacuous celebrity, the nefarious American empire and the "holy mess" of the world are among the subjects channelled through the silken voice of Dani Siciliano.

A pleasure, featuring some of his most winging music since Murphy's Ruby Blue.