Untrue

iTunes Review

Burial’s second full-length, Untrue, doesn’t fall victim to sophomore slump syndrome. In fact, it’s a stunning follow-up to the mysterious dubstep producer’s impressive self-titled debut. The disc feels less grim than its predecessor, but a haunted melancholia dominates throughout. Everything sounds beautifully submerged, murky, fog-bound; it’s easy to picture rainy London or England’s wetlands. Digitally altered vocals play a bigger role than on the earlier release, adding eeriness and dimension to the aquatic textures. When beats appear, they’re strikingly inventive, both in terms of rhythm and timbre. Has there ever been so much funk conjured from such intriguing flatness? You can certainly move to these deeply atmospheric grooves, but the music is also great for dancing in your head. Crackles fleck the aural space as wafting keyboard tones hint at grandeur. Unidentifiable sounds seem to drift down long, dark passageways, pulses bubble up from below, and disembodied voices come and go. Have anonymous cyber-vocals ever been so soulful? The disc has standouts, including “Archangel” and “Raver,” but Untrue’s 50 minutes of watery reverie makes for a great listening experience from beginning to end.