Crooked Machine [RSD 2021]

"I'm already lost in the groove," Róisín Murphy sings at one point on Crooked Machine, and it's hard to come up with a better description of this graceful, cleverly crafted expansion of 2020's excellent Róisín Machine. A set of reworkings helmed by that album's producer, Crooked Man's Richard Barratt, Crooked Machine is a true reinvention of its source material; these remixes aren't just a couple of minutes longer than the original tracks, or updated with slightly different beats. Murphy lets Barratt have free rein -- a wise choice, considering that along with her wit and charisma, his production magic helped make Róisín Machine so striking. He rebuilds the tracks out of their subtlest elements (often stripping out Murphy's lead vocals, save for the occasional verse or chorus) and goes deeper into the haunted, soulful dance sound he mastered on his own Crooked Man and Crooked House. "Echo Returns," a musically and mythologically apt makeover of the storming "Narcissus," sets its whispery vocals and massive sub-bass afloat in a galactic wash of dubby sounds. "Less Is More"'s title wittily acknowledges that it's a minimalist take on "Something More," yet its peaks are just as high and its momentum is just as irresistible as the original's are. Crooked Machine's seamless mix may capture the foggy, sweaty, hypnotic glory of the dancefloor even more ably than its predecessor, but standouts like the surging opening track "Kingdom of Machines" and "Crooked Madame" (a playful revamp of "Shellfish Mademoiselle") abound. It's a testament to Murphy and Barratt's enduring creative chemistry that they continue to bring out the best in each other in unexpected ways: "Assimilation," a tender, elegant reimagining of 2012's single "Simulation," proves that the project's oldest track still has plenty of room for reinterpretation. Barratt goes further off-book with the jagged synth bass and wild keyboard solos that drive "We Are the Law" and the wobbly low end of "Hardcore Jealousy," both of which have a risk-taking sense of fun. Moments like these make Crooked Machine possibly even more danceable than the original, as well as a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend more time in Róisín Machine's world. ~ Heather Phares