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Given the frighteningly short life span of most dance
trends these days, it's oddly refreshing to find people who still haven't
got over big beat. These hardy souls are Brett Parker and Max Odell, Manchild's
core duo, and a sizeable chunk of their world remains lodged in 1997. On
this evidence, it was at least a pretty good year.
'Untied States' is fond of its collaborations - which is fine, but with 'The Clichés Are True', you get the impression they've teamed up with Kelly Jones just because they can. Consequently, it sounds stilted and half-measured, sub-'Setting Sun' for Kelly's sub-Gallagher bellowing. 'Rehab', featuring Andy Cairns' pop-thrash sneer, works better, due to lashings of the industrious guitar abuse which made Therapy? so ace. Left on their own, Manchild have a tendency to revert to type. 'Hard Wax' is squelchy, four-square acid, and 'Rockin' The Place' is capable of doing just that, but no-one will be dancing more joyously than The Chemical Brothers' lawyer.
Inklings of future brilliance are present in 'Somethin' In My System'; Brand Nubian's Sadat X bussed in to rhyme graciously over dipping, lachrymose strings, both parties revealing undisplayed sensitivity. It makes you wonder why they bother with all that big beat nonsense.
For now, Manchild might be techno makeweights. But often,
they bear down heavily enough to move them beyond mere function.
6/10