ELYSIAN FIELDS sees Minus 8 leaving behind drum ‘n’ bass for more lounge, future jazz downtempo-style tracks. The smoothness is evident immediately: “Neverland” weaves in some acoustic guitar some Spanish rhythms and a lonesome flute, while “Cold Fusion” kicks back with some sultry vocals. But even though the musical competency is beyond reproach, the album seems to lack a bite, something that really grabs hold of you and shakes you. The two more house-oriented track, however, are an exception: “Snowblind” peppers a scat-like vocal over some funky breaks, while “Badman & Throbin’” makes no bones about its need to get you grooving (and you’ve got to love that “fake ending”). The closing track, “Sellafield,” tosses in clean guitar line that contrasts the various noises surrounding it. While a good album overall, I would have like a little more meat here.