Eno•Hyde
Someday World
Warp
Britain’s Brian Eno has a pretty amazing resume: founding member of Roxy Music, superproducer (U2, Devo, Talking Heads), wise collaborator (David Byrne, Robert Fripp) and always surprising sonic innovator, even after nearly a half-century on the music scene. (Read our recent profile of Eno here.) On Someday World he’s joined by Karl Hyde, singer for the esteemed electronica group Underworld, with charming results.
Supported by a nimble cast that includes Roxy mate Andy Mackay on sax, the lads fashion bright, sleek pop that almost seems to be infused with helium. From the peppy beats to the airy melodies to the bemused, understated vocals, it can be easy to overlook the darkness in the lyrics—if you can decode them. Near the end of the album, Eno sings, “When I built this world/I built it full of guilt/I filled it with regret and pain/With sin and then with sin again,” but you may come away smiling and ready to dance anyway.