For That Beautiful Feeling

I found this slight, but I've come to realise that there's not actually all that much to The Chemical Brothers: they lack the aggression and backbone of contemporaries like Underworld, Leftfield and The Prodigy, and they're not as dynamic and clean as Daft Punk. There are moments here, but it doesn't add up to anything that special.

These guys have certainly not been terribly prolific in the three decades they've been at it. At the end of the day this kind of thing is about dance really and is not so much in my interests.

Boooooooring

Surprisingly solid, sounds contemporary while retaining their identity, incorporating some trippy neopsych rock elements ala tame impala. But a basically unremarkable album from an already well represented legacy artist - bit of a theme for the newest 13!

Yep it’s definitely a chemical brothers album

Obligatory “they could’ve put another, more interesting and relevant electronic artist on the list, like Floating Points or Oneohtrix Point Never or Fourtet”, but, you know…what do I know? The editors have been exceptionally bad at choosing essential albums from the 21st century; add this uninspiring choice to the list.

Dance music doesn't really work as an album, other than for studying, or dancing in a club. I was doing neither of those things.

One of the better EDMish albums. Never had a moment of “when will this end”.

It's rather nice to hear that they still have it. By no means a classic, but a very nice way to spend an hour.

This feels a little dated by electronica standards. Pretty danceable, but doesn't bring much new to the table.

These are the kind of beep boops i can get behind

Sounds like the soundtrack to the matrix. Very standard sort ofof 90s dance club house album. The most shocking thing about it is that it is from 2023

Nice album except the last two tracks had me questioning my sanity / desire to finish. That took the usual loop on an expedition that it didn't need.

This guy really can't help himself can he...I don't mind this but there's nothing revolutionary about it at all. Rings Around the World getting dropped from the book for an album like this is just an asinine decision

Didn’t like this as much as their older release on this list, which I really liked. This was fine but didn’t grab me like that one.

BABE! The update to 1,001 Songs you must listen to before you die just dropped. I'm sure Demory is going to finally listen to the readers and add albums that are true must listens and not fill it with fluff from legacy acts padding their retirement accounts with yet more entries onto the list where they are more than covered. Right? RIGHT???? 2/5

I probably already wrote it somewhere around here, but even electronic music being the kind I dislike most, thanks to the lsit I learned to respect the history and technices of this style. Given that, I can give this album an extra star in respect of its notable innovations compared with most of the electronic albums on the list. It's still only 2 stars, but I really can almost enjoy some electronic after all.

Easy to listen to Euro club tracks. Overall nice

Impossible to listen to this without moving; head bobbing, ass shaking. I like that the album is mixed with seamless transitions (maybe they're all like that?), makes it seem like you're listening to a live DJ. 4/5

Decent album but also sorta just passed me by. I don't tend to like this sort of electronica where there's a very repeaty use of vocal samples. The rest is really good though. 3.25/5

Favorite track was "Goodbye". The rest is fine. Probably wouldn't revisit the whole album. The Chemical Brothers seem like they'd benefit from a "greatest hits" collection.

Welja, nog meer herhaaltechno. Eens horen wat de scheikundige gebroeders recent gepresteerd hebben. Maar ja, als ik bij het luisteren-tijdens-werk óf nauwelijks merk dat ik het op heb, óf ik word toch weer simpel van de geestdodende herhaling, dan scoor je niet heel hoog. Ze moesten die nieuwe editie van de 1001 *ergens* mee vullen, blijkbaar. Maar wel Leonard Cohens zwanenzang eruit halen! Nou moe. Net als bij dat film-1001-boek blijkt verder meestal dat de meest recente toevoegingen uit de vorige druk er ook als eerste weer uitvliegen. Benieuwd of de Gebroeders dus de volgende editie gaan herhalen hiermee.

Het is dat ik wist dat dit van de Chemical Brothers afkwam, anders had ik misschien nog eerder aan Daft Punk gedacht. Door de italodisco-geluidjes klinkt het me soms meer 80s of 00s in de oren. Nu dus 20s, blijkbaar is dat geluid aan de zoveelste revival bezig. En dan nu gemixt met 90s computerdeuntjes. Is het daarmee vernieuwend? Nee, allesbehalve. Is het daarmee relevant? Nee, allesbehalve. Hoort dit dus in de lijst der lijsten? Nee, allesbehalve. Ik zal dit album niet afstraffen op de idiote keuzes van de snobs, want daar kunnen we ons al lang niet meer over verbazen. En als ik de reviews lees, dan gaan andere gebruikers al helemaal los op Robert D en consorten. Ongeveer alles wat er momenteel fout gaat in de wereld (en dat is nogal wat) is zijn schuld. En ja, laten we eerlijk zijn, daar heeft ome Robert het wel een beetje naar gemaakt. Ik kan het allemaal prima aanhoren, het heeft door de zang iets meer afwisseling en ik vind het daardoor makkelijker af te luisteren dan als er alleen maar pling-plong te horen valt. Normaal gesproken hoort hier iets van een vergeetbare 3 bij. Het is niet heel enerverend, maar ik kom de drie kwartier redelijk makkelijk door. Al zitten er wel een paar echte kutnummers tussen, met schelle geluiden.

Cool.

Some tracks were pretty cool, others were meh.

Best Song: Feels Like I Am Dreaming. I'm driving a car in a video game and the only speed is FAST. Worst Song: For That Beautiful Feeling. This degree of repetition, immediately after another song that heavily relied on the repetition of the title, was just too much. Overall: Pretty groovy. Some songs lingered longer than I wanted, but it was still a lot of fun to listen to. Will probably return to this one.

Electronica is not my usual thing, but I enjoyed my 4 listens. 4/5!

I didn't even make it half way through this going nowhere vista of electronic noise.

Not much to say. It’s electronic stuff. But I will comment that these kind of albums really emphasize how remarkable it was that Daft Punk got big with electronic music.

3.7 3x great EDM album

For That Beautiful Feeling was alright, dunno if we needed another CB album but it's better than most of the new additions. Goodbye was my favourite track, 3/5, solid.

This was a good album, on par with earlier material I feel. It's not a great album by any means and it doesn't really plug a gap that the other two Chemical Brother albums hadn't already covered. If I were judging this is isolation I would probably go with three stars, but I'm bumping it down to two.

1.7 Picking The Chemical Brother's tenth outing in lieu of all of the incredible electronica that's been released in the last 5 years (nevermind the last 25 years that the book chose to omit) is peak Dimery energy. Such "I don't really know about this genre but this was Grammy nominated right?" vibes. We're lucky Daft Punk disbanded otherwise they would have been a shoe in for this spot. Disappointing, and that's from someone who is fond of the genre.

If you wanna know how to make music that is consistently good but not for me it’s chemical brothers

modern electronica that I think got added because it reminds the panel of older electronica that's already overrepresented on this thing

Should’ve retired years ago

3.6 - As an album this one's not bad. It's good even. But I'm left baffled as to why, in his 2026 update of this "1001" list, Robert Dimery once again opts to showcase the Chemical Brothers, an act that's been well represented on this list already with two other albums. Now, I'm not knocking the Chemical Brothers, per se -- they've turned in a decent EDM record. I like throbbing bass and warbly samples on "Live Again", for example. But in the past 10-15 years, scores of electronic acts have surfaced that have expanded the genre much further. I could easily see Arca taking this spot on the list, highlighting one of their beautifully weird and artful electronic records. Did Dimery simply choose to overlook such younger, fresher, more relevant and more interesting acts? Is he simply lazy and narrow-minded? Or, is he out of touch? I give Dimery one star for this selection.

Disco dance del estilo del grupo, aunque un poco más blandengue y falto de intensidad. No me ha parecido gran cosa, la verdad. De hecho, tampoco recuerda mucho a su estilo.

Happy to see more CB on the list as a casual fan, though this LP does feel a bit scattered. The outfit puts up more of their classic electronica/house in solid numbers on this album, but the collection of tracks feels more like a B-sides comp than an actual cohesive product. Several ideas seem to peter out as soon as they enter the scene, and the tracks don't flow as well as they tend to do on the band's other releases. Still, more electronic representation on the 1001 is never a bad thing, and this was a better listen than some other additions for sure.

Listened to old dudes 50 years past their prime on the Rolling Stones album, now it's time for old dudes 25 years past their prime. Not even remotely as good as their first three albums, not very innovative or interesting, zero hits, zero "backstory", still making music so this album will most likely get buried by subsequent releases... We continue to cook with gas.

These was a beautiful feeling...I could float along and want to dance at the same time. Something electronic but also natural and floaty about it.

Two consecutive Fridays of Chemical Brothers? Sign me up! I'll take a dance party like this any day, but the work week's end is particularly perfect timing. These guys are a treat for the ears and the feet, and I could listen to this over and over. It's a whole little world to dive into and take what you want out of it. I took joy, that beautiful feeling. Do we need three of their albums on this list? I suppose that's arguable, but don't get me started on Costello, Morrissey, Dylan, Kings of F#cking Leon, and many others who have shown up here far more frequently than necessary.

It’s incredibly funny for Dimery to add 13 albums (at the expense of 13 other, presumably non-Chemical-Brothers, albums), in the mid 2020s, and one of them is a Chemical Brothers album. It was a five star experience, the feeling I had when I revealed the album. But in the end I still had to listen to another god damned Chemical Brothers album. I think I have five more to go from this new edition. God help us if Elvis Costello has come out with a new one in the last few years.

🫤

Nixpix! Jag behöver inte höra det här innan jag dör. Inte knöldåligt men samtidigt inte särskilt bra ändå. En tvåa blir det här.

Maybe the first of the newly added inclusions in the revised book that I really enjoyed. This is a solid album for sure.

There's really no need for another TCB album. It's not bad, mind you. It's just that there are far better alternatives. Plus, they already have two albums on this list.

I've always loved the Chems but this is a joke. It's not bad but it's just the same thing a before! Nah, sorry.

I don’t know man, this one just seemed to lack something that earlier albums had. Was quite flat.

Yeah, I’m sensing some favouritism here because this album sounds about twenty years out of date. We’ve got plenty of (better) electronica like this on the list already, we definitely didn’t need another one in the big ‘23.

Another Chemical Brothers album? Hmm. Exit Planet Dust was my fifth album to review, and I gave it four stars. However, I called Dig Your Own Hole a shit sandwich, and gave it two stars. How will this album fare? Well, the new Cure album got four stars from me, so maybe this one will as well. Dang, I’m really shocked, but I liked this album quite a bit. Every song was really good, and I found myself really sucked into these songs. The arrangements on this album were really constructed, and each song managed to bring something different to the table. When I was listening to the best songs on the album, I didn’t want them to end. These melodies were expertly crafted, and I found myself letting the music wash over me. “Skipping Like A Stone” was incredible, and easily the best song on the album. The dreamy feeling of the song reminded me a bit of M83, but it never felt like it was trying to rip them off. Beck’s vocals were great, and the beat was insanely catchy. “Live Again” was really good too, and I enjoyed how it reminded of Daft Punk a bit, but again, it never felt like it was copying them. My only beef with this album is that it tailed off a bit towards the end, but this has easily been one of the strongest efforts of the new batch of albums.

The brothers deliver another fun electronic album. Otherwise, nothing new to note. Didn’t particularly excite me or change my way of thinking about the genre. I wouldn’t say it’s a necessary listen and don’t think anyone could make that determination since it hasn’t even been five years since it’s release. This was fine and not a pain to get through. 3/5

Good listen but not sure why it makes 1001. Seems forced in as something newer. Yet it’s chemical brothers who have been around forever.

I mean, surely a third Chemical Brothers album is not needed on the list? There are so much interesting new music being released, and while there are good tracks on For That Beautiful Feeling (like 'Live Again'), the brothers peaked some 25-30 years ago.

On hyvää. Melkein tunnen olevani taas nuori, heiluen reiviluolassa. Tämä levy aiheutti niin hyvää mieltä että on viiden viidakon tähtösen arvoinen.

Siisti tunnelmallinen jumputushouse lätty. Alkupäässä aika vokaalipainotteista, lopussa enempi jumittavaa viipyvää jumputesta. Hyvin tuotettua, crispin kuulosta, erittäin jees. Puuttuu omaan makuun vielä joku pieni viba, että olis viis tähteä. Tarvii kuulostella vielä enempi.

Why not. It's kind of incredible they've been doing this for 35 years and still have the energy for dance music. To be 55 and put this together, I tap my toes and give you three stars

Just like when I listened to Dig Your Own Hole back in 2025 I happened to be on a long highway drive and this also made me drive faster than I should have. I don't mind this one being here. They are really good at what they do.

Honestly did not realize that The Chemical Brothers were still making music this far into the 2020s. This made for an unexpectedly solid listen. Maybe not the _most_ thought provoking electronic, but it did jam for the most part. No Reason delves a little too far into a cheesy disco flair for my taste and The Weight, while being otherwise a groovy rip, had a pretty awful repetitive vocal and some bullshit siren in stereo that kind of killed it for me. Otherwise found this to be pretty entertaining background music for the day. Low low 4

This is a pretty album cover. Simple but I like it. This had its ups and downs with me. Tbh I don't really know what to think so low 3 it is.

A solid album of electronic dance music as is usual with the Chemical Brothers, but hardly necessary to include in 2023

This was alright

I was previously familiar with the Chemical Brothers but not this album. I'm more familiar with their big beat material, whereas this is more dance, almost house. There are some catchy moments here. While I don't like this genre as much, I'm happy to see that they are staying relevant, and putting out good albums in 2023.

Not their biggest, still decent

Nope

I liked two or three songs...this is not a good album. It's ESPECIALLY not a good enough album to be one of the additions on the new edition of the book....what a clown this editor/author can be sometimes.

I am not normally one who appreciates electronic music, but this has grabbed me. Feels, for some reason, more personal.

Ok alright already. As far as electronic music goes, this is good. Can I stand to listen to much more of it? Good god. It's an exercise in diminishing returns. After three songs, I moved on to something else.

Dear Robert Dimery, You are a fucking hack. xxoo, Scott

I like the Chemical Brothers. I used to listen to them a lot, have seen them live, and I even used to spend time trying to track down their old material from when they were called The Dust Brothers (before the other Dust Brothers asked them to stop). I don't follow them religiously but once in a blue moon, I'll try to listen to their newer stuff. They're not my favorite artist but the music definitely scratches an inch sometimes. So I know going in that I'm not going to give this a low rating. But it needs to be said that this is a bewildering choice for the official list! Of the 2026 additions, this might be the strangest one (ok, maybe second strangest). The Chemical Brothers already had two albums on the list and it's not like they're a seminal act in music history, are they? Compared to their first two albums (both released around 30 years ago, give or take), they've obviously learned a few tricks. The production is slicker, the beats are bigger, the styles a little more diverse maybe. But at it's core, this is just a Chemical Brothers album. It has their signature style of nostalgia and psychedelia, mixed with futuristic dance beats. They do what they do and they do it well. But I hate to say it, adding this one to the list just feels lazy. They're a safe pair of hands to make a decent album, sure. But we've done that before. There's not much to discover here. Having said that, it's still a good album. It just didn't need to be included.

This is not really an indication of their best work. It's not bad. But the Chemical Brothers have better albums. ON THIS LIST even.

2 o3

I gave this 2 stars because its decent in some spots. It had a couple tunes that at least get the head bobbin and the feet moving a bit... But I run into the same problem with almost all Electronic/EDM in that I just get bored of it after a certain point. No lyrics or a singer, songs that have a beat that just loops for the duration of the song and overall just not enough variety or typical musical format that gives things separation and variety.

A complete waste of an entry. I swear Dimery hasn't heard any music since 2000. This album is so mediocre and there are way better electronia albums out there. We don't need a fucking THIRD album from these guys. My personal rating: 2/5 My rating relative to the list: 2/5 Should this have been included on the original list? Fuck no.

Too repetitive

The Chemical Brothers are very much an artist that does not deserve three albums on this list. WTF, Dimery?

Interesting mix for sure. It's a dreamy and happy house album with pop elements. There are moments that feel overly repetitive like much edm, but there is definitely enough stylistic diversity across the track list to keep things moving. This one definitely grew on me.

Good, I remember liking some tracks when it came out, but its too noisy overall to stick. I think it has a bit of an identity problem in what it wants to be but when it works out its a decent playlist addition.

With the inclusion of The Chemical Brothers' *For That Beautiful Feeling*, I kind of see what went through the heads of Dimery and co. for their 2026 additions / replacements, for once. That being said, I can also see why some listeners would feel skeptical given that the two British electronic wizards are way past their prime in 2026, which makes this addition take a slot that once again could have been used for another recent LP. It's the sort of conundrum that has pestered the *1001 Albums Your Must Hear Before Your Die* project for two decades now, as it replaces the additions of former 21st century editions with other 21st century projects / album, instead of starting again from scratch. All of this makes the additions of recent editions rather irrelevant, as any music nerd with a shred of sense left in their brains knows. But let's forget the book for one second and assess the record for what it is. As I suggested at the very start of this tentative review, this choice still makes sense because of how strong and memorable this late-career highlight in the "Brothers" ' discography comes off. It is undeniable that *For That Beautiful Feeling* is very much a return to form, after a decade where the duo oscillated between catering to pop impulses verging close to blandness (2015's *Born In The Echoes*) and releasing more experimental stuff lacking the mirth and bite of their legendary peaks to an extent (2019's *No Geography*). Contrary to those lesser releases, *For That Beautiful Feeling* is fun AND interesting on a compositional, production and arrangement standpoint. The subtle techno-psychedelic flourishes might feel a bit more streamlined and formatted this time around, but they're still distinctive and idiosyncratic, and they mesh well with the admittedly slick surroundings. Case in point, the poignant minor harmonies clashing with that tight driven beat on "Live Again", which indeed suggests that the Brothers have not felt this alive for quite some time. I can also hear some joyful echoes of Jamie xx's solo LPs in this record -- isn't FTBF's artwork a callback to *In Colours* somehow? -- which makes its club electronic soundscapes sound fresher than anything the Brothers had put out in the recent years. Plus, there are subtle callbacks to older stuff, like Daft Punk's take on funk basslines, or the sort of spiky surges related to the acid scene of the nineties. And yet, make no mistake, this record still sounds like a Chemical Brothers album, 100%. It's just an updated version that both looks into the rearview mirror (do you see that endearing couple of hitchhikers there?) and also manages to look forward somehow. Not so bad for a "legacy act" like this one. Even better, the tracklist of this record is extremely solid. Admittedly, "Fountains" and "Magic Wand" lead you to a jarring and underwhelming patch right in the middle of the LP -- with hackneyed, formulaic hip hop beats, lazy funk filling, and tasteless soul samples that feel rather perfunctory. But everything else slaps for the genre. There's the first propulsive trio of tracks, "Live Again" (featuring Halo Maud, originally from the French indie-pop act Melody's Echo Chamber), "No Reason" and "Goodbye" -- that latter song laced by ambient layers of synths that feel dreamy as f*ck. And after the underwhelming patch, new heights are reached again. "The Weight" harbors one of the most infectious "pointed and dented" basslines of the Brothers' career -- as good as the best ones found in *Dig Your Own Hole*, which speaks volumes. And its synthetic build-ups towards its conclusion are mesmerizing. "Skipping Like A Stone", featuring Beck, is also a very elated and enticing song. Hansen's contribution isn't exactly stellar -- it's rather a job done right -- but when the techno beats drop, they drop *hard*. And speaking of techno beats, the rave antics and urgent vocal hooks of "Feels Like I'm Dreaming" are like a platonic ideal of the Chemical Brothers' artistry -- nicely contrasting with the latin dance club undertones of "The Darkness That You Fear" before (maybe harnessed via Jamie xx, once again). Finally, the dream pop build-up of the title track "For That Beautiful Feeling", also featuring Halo Maud, is a cinematic gem. That closer is almost as good as *Surrender*'s "Asleep From Day", even if the intents are a little different and Halo isn't Hope Sandoval. All in all, I'm glad I could fill out the blanks in my knowledge of the Chemical Brothers' discography today, thanks to the 2026 edition. This doesn't necessarily make *For The Beautiful Feeling* an essential addition or a mandatory listen for music fans of all stripes, but the artistic success of this album in my eyes is still got to count for something. Elder statesmen who once pushed the needle forward in their elected genre don't often manage to sound so fresh and lively this late in their career. Yet those two particular statesmen pull it off here. And it's a beautiful feeling all by itself. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list dedicated to essential albums, rounded up to 4. 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 for the musicianship and production values + 3.5 for the artistry) ---- Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 + 1 (addition to the 2026 edition of the book) Albums from the original list I *might* select for mine later on: 288 + 4 (*including this addition to the 2026 edition of the book) Albums from the original list I won't select for mine: 336 + 4 (additions to the 2026 edition of the book) ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 124 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 142 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 319

Eh 3

Not their best work IMHO. Still good though.

Never got them

I don't know. Might've been my mood but I found this rather boring.

After first hearing The Chemical Brothers' Exit Planet Dust then Dig Your Own Hole albums on this list I said "I guess I'm a Chemical Brothers person now". Still, didn't know that I needed another from them. This is a terrific album that had me wanting to see them live as I was grooving along for the entire 47 minute runtime. I love an album overflowing with positive vibes like this! My day: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3jamke

Why a third album? "Exit Planet Dust" and "Dig Your Own Hole" are already on the list. And quite frankly, this is more of the same. I don't understand the logic of any of these new entries. What makes this album so important? The opening to "Skipping Like A Stone" sounds like the intro to The Simpsons. "Magic Wand" was a bit annoying. And "who's gonna take the weight?" It ain't me. The songs still have the same-ness to me even with Beck on a track. Top tracks: "Skipping Like A Stone," "Goodbye"

Middling electronica that is way past it's prime. 2/5

S'alright I suppose, hardly adds anything new or exciting to the book or the Chemical Brothers' back catalogue. Lazy on both counts.

It feels like they can't decide whether they're trying to soundtrack a Guy Ritchie film, "do a Moby" with some samples they found, or get the remix dollar with A-list musical friends.

Always good to hear more chemical brothers stuff, but it’s hard for them to break any new ground. A good listen, but not sure we needed a third CB album in the book (and if we did, it should have been Surrender)

The Chemical Brothers – For That Beautiful Feeling (2023) ★★☆☆☆ — 3.5/10 I've never really been a fan of electronic music, but I went into this with an open mind. Initially, I thought it was better than a lot of the electronic albums I've encountered in this project. Unfortunately, that didn't last. The album feels like one continuous psychedelic trip, with songs blending into each other so seamlessly that I sometimes didn't even realize a new track had started. There's plenty of energy, but far too much repetitive booping and beeping without enough melody or variation to keep me interested. The middle stretch was particularly rough, with "Goodbye" being an absolute low point. Things improved toward the end, especially "Skipping Like a Stone" featuring Beck. They actually managed to hide a real song in here! The vocals, melody, and recognizable structure made it easily my favorite track. I can appreciate the production and understand the appeal for fans of this style, but it's just not something I enjoy listening to for an entire album. There were a few tolerable moments, but very little I'd ever want to revisit. 2 stars.

This list probably didn't need a 3rd chemical bros album. Especially not one from 2023. Cheers Dimmers. And not a single Dimmer album included.

Sorry, Chemical Brothers. Found this to be too repetitive.

Hehe, nicht nur Elektrogebritzel sondern richtige Songs. Gefällt.

The Chemical Brothers are always a great time and their albums have a superb flow. I prefer their stuff from their heyday but I suspect this may be a grower. 3.5

I liked this, probably better than the Chemical Brothers on the previous editions of the book.

Live Again // Goodbye //

A decent enough Chemical Brothers album, but hardly essential listening. I’d rather stick on their earlier stuff. Not sure why this made the list.

meh

Probably not essential listening to the degree it should be on the list (especially with the two other Chem Bros albums here), but it's a pretty good late era release for them. (but seriously why is this here when Surrender, Push the Button, Come With Us aren't) 3.5/5

Though their base product isn't my cup of tea, they can delight a bit with their collaborations. It's not my genre at all but they are in the top rank of acts that do it.

Context is everything with some genres of music. I can imagine really enjoying this in a nightclub with lasers and dry ice and thumping bass, but on a rainy Tuesday morning it all falls a bit flat. This is a new addition to the 2026 edition of the book and I found out today that it displaced Modern Kosmology by Jane Weaver, a recent favourite of mine. This was an odd decision, whilst it’s a nicely mixed sequence of upbeat acid house dance tunes, it doesn’t add anything new compared to the Chemical Brothers work during the 90s. I could also compare this to the 2023 release Optical Delusion by Orbital who are of a similar vintage as 90s ravers. Where Orbital collaborated with Sleaford Mods on the genuinely banging track Dirty Rat, the Chemical Bros are working with … Beck. Hmmm. I would have given this three stars, but it’s not an essential listen for me. I suspect that the only chemicals this lot are now taking are statins and sanatogen.

5/10. Eh. Whatever.

I think something valuable that I gained over the course of the 1001 albums and beyond is a better understanding of electronic music in my own personal framework. It's hard to resonate with any electronic music without cultural and temporal context - it's a musical landscape that changes rapidly. That's my rationale for enjoying hyperpop and other more recent developments in electronic music without enjoying some of the older DnB, big beat, etc on this list. And to me, that's why it's frustrating that The Chemical Brothers got another nod in this most recent edition, instead of any number of artists who are more in the zeitgeist and thus are relevant to young people and not uncs like Dimery. Oh well, this was probably the best that The Chemical Brothers have sounded to my ears. 6/10

Opened feeling like a club classics radio station, got a bit better than that. Loved the song Skipping Like A Stone

Pretty good, maybe not as catchy as some of their other albums.

Not as good as the others from them

I've gotten some real duds in the 1002+ album additions, but this one was worth the listen--very enjoyable electronic!

This Electronica album feels like being swept into a crowded rave where the lights keep changing, the floor vibrates beneath your feet, and every new wave of sound threatens to carry you further than you intended to go. The Chemical Brothers build tracks from pounding beats, distorted synths, elastic basslines and warped vocal fragments, repeatedly pushing the music towards euphoric peaks before shifting direction. The guest vocals provide occasional human warmth, but the electronics remain in control. There is a rush to the album, though its relentless movement can also become overwhelming, with some sections blending into one long, continuous sensory experience. I feel less like an active participant than someone caught in the machinery of the dancefloor, waiting to see whether the next build will finally take me somewhere new.

Back to some electronic music. Didn't really carry my attention, but I'm just not a huge fan of this style of music. 2.5/5 Probably won't listen again

Wow, this deserves to be included here. What a great album!

This was fairly good

weird seeing new albums on here. love me house, super fluid and progressive, ts is great

The Chemical Brothers - For That Beautiful Feeling - 4/5 Having just listened to their debut a couple days ago, this was a really interesting jump forward. You can still hear the same band underneath it, but the sound has obviously changed a lot from the 90s to the 2020s. They did a good job of evolving with the times without sounding like they were chasing whatever happened to be popular. One thing I really noticed was how smoothly everything flows. The transitions from song to song are flawless, so the whole album feels more like one continuous piece than a bunch of separate tracks. “The Weight” stood out too. That bass line was awesome. I liked this a lot more than I expected for an album this late in their career. It still has the weird electronic stuff I associate with The Chemical Brothers, but it feels cleaner and more modern without losing what made them interesting in the first place.

01) Intro - / 02) Live Again - 8,5 03) No Reason - 8,0 04) Goodbye - 7,5 05) Fountains - 7,5 06) Magic Wand - 7,5 07) The Weight - 7,0 08) Skipping Like a Stone - 8,5 09) The Darkness That You Fear - 8,0 10) Feels Like I Am Dreaming - 6,5 11) For That Beautiful Feeling - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,60 (76/100) Current ranking: 405/1067

So much repetition in the last 2 tracks killed me

The album has some good hooks, but I wouldnt say its I would come back to listen to more often. 4.

Dimery in da clerb. Seems like a bit of a lazy choice considering they already have 2 albums in the book.

I like the Chemical Brothers and electronica is my genre. So I'm pretty annoyed with myself for missing this album when it came out. I think it's great, some really good tunes, with a quite a few you wouldn't think were Chemical Brothers. Up there with one of my favourite Chemical Brothers albums. A lot of reviews complaining that this is the 3rd CB album. Dry your eyes. I've had 5 Bob Dylan, 4 Morrisey, and 3 Miles Davis albums, brutal listening but I carry on.

Lekker hoor. Een echt donderdagmiddag album en ik luister deze op donderdagmiddag. Ik weet niet wat ik hier precies over zou moeten melden. Als je lekker aan het werk bent is dit een heel lekker album. Soms is het wat druk, maar ik ben nog jong natuurlijk, dus ik kan dat hebben. 4 sterren, al zou ik 1 puntje meer kunnen inhouden omdat dit album niet in deze lijst hoort. Ga ik niet doen.

No Reason has that sick downbeat euro dance groove. Yea this is a good eurodance album.

Couldn't get through it. It gave me a headache.

I’d (57) listen to this at the Y after work, or watch someone run on a treadmill on as Netflix drama to this, but I can’t imagine that lends it any points on the dancefloor.

There’s that trick we’ve heard before in electronic dance music of opening and closing the album with the same looped vocal refrain (“For that beautiful feeling”), and it works well here; I really like the way they use it to fractallize samples and build a groove for the affirming “Live Again,” and it’s drenched in cinematic pathos as the closer. Elsewhere, I love the contrast of the overdriven sci-f synth tones and the house vocals of “Goodbye” and the robo-disco of “Fountains.” Overall, it feels appropriately mature and exploratory, and less gimmicky and in-your-face than some of their earlier work.

Third record of theirs on the list. Extraneous.

The new edition contained another Chemical Brothers album, which I was less than enthused about. I wanted to hear more of a modern sound, and I'm not the biggest fan of them when so much sounds repetitive. Well, For That Beautiful Feeling sounded more repetitive than the other two albums, or at least what I remember from them, and I couldn't get excited. It's fine on the whole, truly! I would've liked a different album, is all.

Cool beans.

Kind of a lackluster album from The Chem Bros. It's fine, but I know they can and have done better.

interestinng electronic-psych record. some really fun stuff in here for what i would consider a "legacy" electronica act, but some clunkers too. it doesn't really push anything forward and is definitely very backwards looking for an electronic album, which does make it a little compelling for me. ultimately, i wish that it was a little more groundbreaking.

More repetition from the masters of the layered track. Good album if you're into the same beat repeated ad nauseum for 4 and a half minutes.

3.5 beeps out of 5 boops. I enjoyed this album and would listen to it again.

My second Chemical Brothers in a row, after yesterday’s Exit Planet Dust. Despite not being my choice style of music, I’ve found I’ve quite enjoyed these guys. This was a pretty tight production, but altogether not so dissimilar to that of their 1995 output. There wasn’t a particular track I resonated with, they all blended in pretty well with each other. I do note that 17 year old me would have absolutely despised the electronoise throughout Goodbye, but a few decades on my tastes have matured to the point of appreciation.

Really solid album.

WHY ANOTHER CHEMICAL BROTHERS?!

I very much expected this to feel like they were chasing their past glories, clinging to what they once were - wow was I impressed. Goodbye is a standout track. Really good all around

Don't know about this one. It's like 90s eurodisco with a heavy baseline on top of it and then somtimes men talk? Guess I'm happy there is some new music on the list, even if I don't love the music itself? Feeling a 3 on this one. It is decently enjoyable.

As a fan of The Chemical Brothers from their 90s days, I had no idea this record existed and it's fantastic. The duo forgo the repetitive Electronic beats for something that aims to be more compact, catchy and radio-ready for every single-track. There's nothing skippable front-to-back. Glad I found this!

They know how to do it. This album delivers exactly what one might hope, when seeking to hear The Chemical Brothers. Electronica for your next corporate teambuilding retreat.

Ehhh

Definitely not the Chemical Brothers album I would put on this list but I'm happy to see more inclusion for them regardless. This one is solid and very consistently high paced, resulting in a more intense and dancey vibe than a lot of their material. I think it works at making the album feel very cohesive.

I’ve always got time for The Chemical Brothers, especially albums of theirs that I missed. This effort is a blast - not iconic like their debut but definitely in stride with Exit Planet Dust.

Didn’t realize they were still putting out music

A more mature sound from the Brothers this time around? Instead of Block Rockin Beats we get some solid dance tunes.

I was expecting this to spank arse and it peaked at slaps knee. (OK, Feels Like I Am Dreaming smacks ass)

Unconventionally attractive.

The Chemical Brothers are usually such a vibe, this album unfortunately was vibeless.

Highlights: Live Again, Fountain. Yeah, I'm with the critics on this one: you can trust The Chemical Brothers with making psychedelic, big beat and electronica music that's accessible. Pop but not pop, if you know what I mean. PS. Spot the subtle nods to Tame Impala, Nile Rogers and Daft Punk. Overall: 4/10

# In-Depth Review: *For That Beautiful Feeling* by The Chemical Brothers *For That Beautiful Feeling* arrives as the tenth studio album from Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons, a duo whose career spans over three decades at the vanguard of electronic music. Released in September 2023, the record is less a reinvention than a confident refinement—a consolidation of the psychedelic, big-beat, and techno instincts that have defined their work since *Exit Planet Dust*. The album's title is its thesis: a pursuit of that transcendent, overwhelming moment when sound overtakes the listener, whether on a dancefloor or through headphones. Across eleven tracks, the Chemical Brothers largely succeed in capturing that fleeting sensation, though not without occasional moments where the formula feels overly familiar. ## Lyrics: Sparse, Textural, and Thematically Contrasting Lyrics have never been the primary vehicle for meaning in a Chemical Brothers record, and *For That Beautiful Feeling* adheres to that principle. Vocals function more as texture and emotional signifier than as narrative devices. Halo Maud's voice, featured on "Live Again" and the closing title track, is chopped and processed into an instrument—a shimmering, shoegaze-inflected layer that complements rather than dominates the production . Beck's contribution to "Skipping Like a Stone" is the album's most conventionally lyrical moment, offering a surprisingly earnest message of solidarity: "When you feel like nothing really matters / When you feel alone / When you feel like all your life is shattered / And you can't go home / I'll come skipping like a stone" . It is a rare moment of direct emotional address, and it lands with genuine uplift. Elsewhere, the lyrics operate through juxtaposition. "No Reason" pairs an ominous, nihilistic vocal sample—"We have no reason to live / When will they kill us all?"—with some of the album's most jubilant, acid-tinged production . This tension between bleak text and euphoric sound is a deliberate strategy. As Rowlands has noted, "The lyrics are very bleak and the music is positive. We like contrasts" . The effect is disorienting in the best sense, capturing the peculiar dissonance of finding joy amid anxiety. The album as a whole emerged from the strange liminal space of the pandemic and its aftermath, and while it is not a "lockdown album" in any explicit sense, the emotional whiplash—dread, release, melancholy, hope—threads through the vocal choices and samples . ## Music: A Psychedelic Journey with Dancefloor Peaks Musically, the album is structured as a journey, bookended by Halo Maud's contributions. The opening "Intro" and "Live Again" establish a tone of euphoric propulsion, with bouncy basslines and synths that "move in waves through pitches" . "No Reason" and "Goodbye" deliver the album's most direct dancefloor assaults, featuring hefty drops and "synths [that] drop like melodic rainfall" . "Goodbye" in particular builds to an analogue noise breakdown that is visceral and thrilling. The album's middle section shifts into more psychedelic and exploratory territory. "Fountains" is a down-tempo, groovy piece with distorted notes that test the eardrums, while "Magic Wand" flips a vintage soul sample into a gritty breakbeat, drawing comparisons to late-'80s hip-hop and the Bristol trip-hop of Massive Attack's forebears . "The Weight" leans into club history with a funk quality that recalls their own 1995 single "Leave Home," though at a more relaxed tempo . The sequencing is deliberate and effective: the album feels like a DJ set that moves through peaks and valleys, from the "wall of sound" of "Feels Like I Am Dreaming" to the "delicate, sparse" title track that closes proceedings . One of the album's strengths is its refusal to rely on obvious pop hooks. As The Guardian noted, the record "doesn't deliver hits such as 'Go' and 'Galvanize,'" but it compensates with tracks that "will claw into your lizard brain and refuse to leave" . The Chemical Brothers have never been a singles act in the conventional sense; their power lies in the cumulative effect of an album-length experience, and that remains true here. ## Production: The Stars Are Behind the Desk The production is, unsurprisingly, immaculate. Recorded at Rowlands' studio in Sussex, the album boasts a clarity and depth that only decades of experience can yield. Every element—the "addictively tinny hi hats," the "dirty pitch on the melody," the "spine-tingling synths"—is placed with precision . The Chemical Brothers have long been celebrated for making largely instrumental electronic music sound like pop, and that alchemy is on full display here. The Observer's assessment that "the brightest stars are behind the desk not in the booth" is apt . What distinguishes this production from their earlier work is a conscious embrace of emotional directness. Rowlands has said the duo wanted to "embrace the idea of speaking very directly through music, because sometimes it's obscured quite a lot and scared of a big emotion" . This translates into a warmth that permeates even the darker tracks. The album's title track, with its cinematic synths and Halo Maud's de-warped vocal, is a case in point: it is beautiful in a way that feels earned rather than cloying. The production choices—the decision to chop Maud's vocals on "Live Again" but let them ring clear on the closer—create a sense of narrative resolution . One minor critique is that the album's commitment to its own sonic palette means that some tracks blur together on repeated listens. The middle stretch, while enjoyable, lacks the distinctiveness of the album's bookends. But this is a quibble about an otherwise masterful production effort. ## Themes: Beauty, Release, and the Post-Pandemic Condition The album's central theme is encapsulated in its title: the pursuit of that overwhelming, beautiful feeling that music can provoke. This is not a complex or novel idea, but it is explored with sincerity and nuance. The Chemical Brothers have described the record as an attempt to "get to the part of people that wants to come alive," to offer release and escape without ignoring the weight of the world . The result is an album that acknowledges darkness—the nihilism of "No Reason," the paranoia of "Magic Wand," the melancholy that lingers at the edges—while ultimately steering toward hope and catharsis. The post-pandemic context is present but not overbearing. Simons has spoken of the "strange four years" during which the album was made, and the emotional range of the record reflects that period: the isolation, the fear, the tentative return to collective joy . "The Darkness That You Fear," originally released in 2021, takes on added resonance in this context, with its message that "the darkness that you fear will disappear" . The album does not dwell in despair, but it does not pretend that despair is absent. It offers, instead, a temporary transcendence—which is, after all, what the best dance music has always done. ## Influence and Context The Chemical Brothers occupy a unique position in electronic music: they are elder statesmen who have refused to become a heritage act. While their contemporaries in the big beat era—Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy, Orbital—have either slowed down, splintered, or settled into nostalgia, the Chemical Brothers continue to release music that feels vital and forward-facing. As The Line of Best Fit observed, "Only Underworld have truly kept up with the consistency of The Chemical Brothers" . *For That Beautiful Feeling* reinforces that status. It earned a Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album, adding to the duo's already substantial list of accolades . The album's influence is likely to be felt less in terms of direct sonic imitation—their sound is so distinctive that imitation is difficult—and more as a model of longevity and integrity. In an era when electronic music is often optimized for algorithmic playlists and short attention spans, the Chemical Brothers still make albums as cohesive statements, designed to be experienced from start to finish. That commitment, sustained over ten records, is itself an influence worth noting. Their continued ability to sell out arena tours and headline festivals on the strength of new material, not just nostalgia, demonstrates that there remains an audience for this kind of ambitious, unapologetically psychedelic electronic music. ## Pros and Cons **Pros:** - **Immaculate production**: The album sounds phenomenal, with a clarity and depth that rewards close listening and a physicality that would translate powerfully to a club or festival system . - **Strong sequencing and flow**: The album is structured as a journey, with the Halo Maud bookends providing a sense of coherence and resolution . - **Effective contrasts**: The juxtaposition of bleak lyrics with euphoric music, particularly on "No Reason," creates a compelling tension that reflects the anxieties of its era . - **Beck collaboration**: "Skipping Like a Stone" is a genuine highlight, a stadium-sized anthem that balances accessibility with emotional sincerity . - **Continued vitality**: At a point when many artists of their generation are coasting, the Chemical Brothers remain engaged, experimental, and committed to their craft . **Cons:** - **Familiarity of formula**: While executed with skill, the album rarely deviates from the template the duo has established over the past three decades. Listeners hoping for a radical departure may be disappointed . - **Mid-album lull**: The psychedelic middle section, while interesting, lacks the immediacy of the opening and closing tracks, and some songs blur together on repeated listens. - **Limited lyrical depth**: The reliance on vocal samples and textural use of voices means that, Beck's contribution aside, the album offers little in the way of verbal substance. This is consistent with their approach, but it may leave some listeners wanting more. - **Absence of a career-defining single**: The album lacks a track with the instant, undeniable impact of "Galvanize" or "Hey Boy Hey Girl"—a criticism that The Guardian also noted . ## Verdict *For That Beautiful Feeling* is not the Chemical Brothers' best album, but it is a worthy addition to a discography that few electronic acts can match for consistency. It is a record made by artists who know exactly what they are doing and who still care deeply about doing it well. The title is a promise, and for the most part, the album delivers on it: it is beautiful, it is felt, and it invites the listener to lose themselves in its currents. For longtime fans, it offers reassurance that the duo's creative spark remains intact. For newcomers, it is a solid entry point into a body of work that has shaped the sound of electronic music for nearly thirty years.

These guys were dated years ago, I’m not sure why this album would make the list.

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Live again, No reason, Goodbye, The darkness that you fear, Feels like I am dreaming

>Chemical Brothers album >2023 Lol

An update to the book for the last five years, and they remove Fetch the Bolt Cutters and Deloused in the Comatorium to add this shit and the latest Rolling Stones album? What a colossal assout.

I enjoyed this.

Really enjoyed this and will listen again but not a 5* album, just a guilty pleasure!

I sort of know that this is good but I don't know if I can articulate why. It's not got the nostalgia of early Chemical Brothers, so I guess I'm a little lost as to what buttons it should be pressing in my emotional register. It's just...not unpleasant dance music. There is Beck in there briefly though, which I did enjoy, not least because his new album is excellent (hot tip for you there) and so it felt nice to get a little bit more Beck in my life.

Favorite Track: Live Again

I feel like this would be better if I’m really trying to focus on something and I have it on in the background. As a solo thing it wasn’t that great.

Specialized listening. Eh it is what it is - not saying that with any sense of patronizing dismissal (maybe a little), but rather this isn't something I'm generally putting on when listening to music. For me this fits more of a specific aggressive-ish background music so it's hard for me to put this in context of most other music I'll listen to. Some of the sounds are a little too abrasive in my ears; I know that's the game but on this one it's just...ehh. It's fine I'm just not feeling anything much from most of it and not sure what makes this significant enough to put on this list. I do like "The Weight" though - needed more of that. 5/10 2 stars IMO: Belonged in the book? No.

It's not at all a bad album, and it was a nice comeback for The Chemical Brothers, but we're in the midst of such a cool moment for electronic music that putting this on the list is baffling. Especially considering this is their third album here.

Ah yes, start your album with a full 30 secs of the most obnoxious sound I’ve heard in a while. This is gonna be a rough one. Oh yeah, then just go into mid, repetitive bullshit for people on too many drugs to hear properly. Make sure you throw in a few more sounds that hurt! I won’t be an electronica apologist today, this fucking blows. Finally had to quit on the second to last song because of if I had to listen to that girl yell “and I feel like I am dreaming” one more time I was gonna break something.

This is my first album of the new edition, and it skates in just under the 1000 mark. I actually quite enjoyed the album, but I'm not sure a third Chemical Brothers album is what the album needs in the year of our Lord 2026. I did like this album quite a bit more than "Dig Your Own Hole," so I would be willing to swap the two. The songs are repetitive, but pleasingly so; there are some very catchy hooks. There's a vivid feeling to this album accompanied by a psychedelic, dream-like eagerness. It's a fun album overall. In a vacuum I would probably give this album 4 stars, but I do find it difficult to justify the album's position on a must-hear list. I think this lands the album at a very solid 3. Favorite track(s): "Live Again," "Feels Like I Am Dreaming"

For me, The Chemical Brothers always start going somewhere interesting and then veer off in an odd direction. This album was almost amazing, but pulled itself back at every turn.

I'm so confused about this. Now both lists are growing? This is a cool add.

Parts of this I liked, but overall I'm not really vibing with it. 3 stars.

Famously stole our sound

Didn’t hate this just don’t think an album from 2023 Chemical Brothers should be a must listen.

I'm realizing I have a lot of opinions on some of these new additions that I haven't actually listened to yet. This album still wasn't that incredible or groundbreaking for a group that's been going for 30+ years, and kinda annoying at times. But also, this being one of the albums to pick from recent years is just not a good pick. Once again shows that Dimery has his favorites that will always get more exposure and also just the over-representation of old English artists. I can think of at least 50 albums off the top of my head from the last 5 years that are better listens than this one. ... Anyways got that off my chest, and will try to be more subjective while rating the rest of the new ones.

Hey the Chemical Brothers put out a record in 2023 and... I kinda liked it?

It’s the Chemical Brothers. It’s going to be good. There wasn’t anything too iconic or memorable on this one but it was still super enjoyable

Fine but is it really list worthy?