On their fourth full-length, British duo Chase & Status retain their position as one of the most popular acts in drum'n'bass (and U.K. dance music in general) with another guest-heavy set of fresh, zestful tracks for both the radio and the music festival circuit. The producers continue to incorporate tried-and-true elements of club culture into their sound while keeping their ear to current trends -- or, sometimes more accurately, sounds from the past which have come back around. Considering how grime returned to prominence during the mid 2010s, perhaps it's to be expected that Chase & Status have concentrated on brash British rap for much of this album. Past collaborator Kano returns on "Dubplate Original," a tough banger made even tougher with the frequent intrusion of crashing jungle breakbeat drum fills. Other than a truly tasteless Trump reference, the lyrics are pretty solid. Even better is "NRG," an invigorating grime/rave crossover with half-time dubstep breakdowns and electrifying rhymes from Novelist, easily one of the most exciting new-school grime MCs. Posse cut "Know About We" is significantly darker and more haunting, while "Nervous" and "Control" are more aggressive rock-step tracks which build up to blaring guitars and anti-system screaming. On the album's more party-friendly tip, there's the excellent garage tune "Reload," which features Craig David alternating between his smooth, sensuous side and the hardest and grimiest he's ever sounded. Other tracks like "Big Man Skank" and "Real No More" pay tribute to jungle's roots in reggae and soundsystem culture, building up easy skanking beats with horns and dub effects as well as traditional dancehall vocals, before the bombastic drum'n'bass breaks come crashing in. On the strictly drum'n'bass side, "Tribute" is a smooth, relaxing roller with some dusky late-night trumpet, and "Tribes" is a brassy, percussive workout which borders on clownstep. Besides all of these, there's several more radio-ready pop songs which use drum'n'bass to elevate the drama.
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