While it's still abundantly clear Liam Howlett commands our respect, no amount of tough talking can disguise the fact THE PRODIGY'S new album "Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned" is a bit of a stiff. No, I grant you it never sinks to 'dog's dinner' status as such, but it certainly alludes to the workings of a man with a feverish, overworked and paranoid mind.
"Girls", though, is pretty adroit where the art of damage limitation comes in. Instantly one of the better slivers of artistic endeavour to sneak in through the back door of the mothership, it's sprightly, bouncy AND menacing, with definite elements of early 80s NYC dance gurus like Arthur Baker and Mark Kamins springing favourably to mind. Bring in the Ping Pong Bitches to ladle on further attitude and let Howlett's skill with samples, analogue synth sounds and stitching it all together run amok and you've got a pretty satisfying whole, all things considered.
The cunningly-titled remix, "More Girls" also struts enviable stuff. A brain-blitzing, strobe-addled shine up, with funkier drums and a surprise recall for Maxim, it's a frantic headfuck of a thing and - in its' glitchy, uncompromising way - every bit as good as its' source material.
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A further remix of "Under My Wheels" didn't bode well, as the original "You'll Be Under My Wheels" runs depressingly out of steam on the album. However, Howlett again pulls off some defiant rearguard action, inserting a snakecharmer flute motif and strangled Arabian guitar to recreate something of significant Eastern promise. If it had a Jah Wobble bassline, it'd be perfect, but hell, this is already better than you'd hoped it might be.
It can't divert attention away from the album indefinitely, but this three-tracker serves all the notice we need why Liam Howlett and co should still be regarded as major contenders. Like I said previously, don't write 'em off just yet.
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