Around the time of UNKLE's second album, another Mo' Wax outfit of the past (though one with a far smaller profile) released their own sophomore record, one in similar company -- but far superior to -- UNKLE's work. Songs for Creatures, the duo's production debut after a 1998 Mo' Wax mix album, finds Psychonauts creating efficient, highly artistic productions that develop slowly and allow the several guest vocalists room to explore their own performances. The opener, Circles, unfolds with all the soul groove of a classic Donny Hathaway performance, but Psychonauts aren't delivering a simple twist on the earthy Mo' Wax sound. Far more wide-ranging, Songs for Creatures is a primer on classic British music of the past two decades: vocalist Chancer gives Life's Swift Charger the wasted charm of classic Underworld, Hot Blood is a next-generation ringer for the Cure (with much more flair than the Rapture), and Hips for Scotland is a vehicle for the breathy Ian Brown mannerisms of young singer James Yorkston. The guest with the highest profile, Siobhan Fahey from Shakespear's Sister, guests on the excellent Giorgio Moroder vehicle Fear Is Real, a perfect track for any DJ with an ear for electro crossover. Inventive and artistic where UNKLE often comes across as clichéd and melodramatic, Psychonauts' Songs for Creatures is one of the best records to appear from a former Mo' Wax act in several years. ~ John Bush, Rovi

1		Circles[null]
2		Life's Swift Charger[null]
3		Empty Love[null]
4		Hips for Scotland[null]
5		Hot Blood[null]
6		Fear Is Real[null]
7		Magnetic[null]
8		Distance Between Dreams[null]
9		Dream Chaser[null]
10		Worlds Keep Turning[null]
11		Wild in Your Eyes[null]
12		Take Control[null]