X-Press 2 - Makeshift Feelgood (Skint)

They've come an awful long way since the underground tracks of the mid 1990s. Muzikizum, the trio's debut, brought these together and showed an aptitude for instrumental club cuts such as the mighty title track. At the same time it served notice of a new talent for songwriting, the obvious example being the David Byrne collaboration Lazy.

Their second album finds them pushing the songwriting much further, no doubt buoyed by the confidence given by Lazy's success. This does mean the sharp edges previously found in the club tracks have blunted a little, but it also brings a greater sense of coherence to their form.

And as far as feel good goes, the Kurt Wagner-assisted Give It is up there with the best of them, working well in its album format as it builds to a euphoric chorus. Not many fusions of gospel and house music have proved this effective. The heady air continues with Tim DeLaughter, guest in a slightly bizarre version of Witchi Tai To, pulled off by the skin of its teeth.

It's good to see the band isn't just about scaling the highs, as their dark side has always appealed. Here it's best glimpsed in Kill 100, the cold, slightly sinister house production fronted by an almost emotionless Rob Harvey. Flipside, the electro-fuelled Don't Make Me Wait finds Bernard Fowler going for the big-room vocal and nearly succeeding.

Almost half the tracks on the album collaborate with ravesters Kissing The Pink, and feature a healthy nod to the early 90s. Enjoy The Ride, with its squiggly synths, is superceded by the po-faced Light My Soul, a deadpan vocal and slower beat working well.

Only one track comes close to routine, the empty bluster of Fellow Cutie. But this record largely succeeds in elevating X-Press 2 to a higher level, fusing their songwriting and club sensibilities rather impressively.

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