Two electronic titans are returning to the dancefloor this year. The Chemical Brothers are first out of the gate with Push The Button, coming out later this month. Having heard very little from the Brothers since Surrender, I was interested in hearing how their sound’s evolved since the halcyon days of “Loops Of Fury” and “Setting Sun.”

And give these guys some credit—like the Prodigy last year, Tom and Ed haven’t been content to rest on their laurels like some of the class of ‘98 (like, say, Fatboy Slim). Of course, trying new things and pushing in new directions isn’t the only thing; it has to sound good as well. And just like the Prodigy last year, the Chemical Brothers have largely failed.

In fact, the Chemical Brothers have failed in largely the same way: by offering us one or two interesting and—dare I say it?—exciting tracks, and then padding the rest of the album with limp, soulless filler. When “Girls” hit the radio last year, people were briefly talking about a Prodigy renaissance, but then shut up shortly after Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned came out. “Galvanize” is this year’s “Girls,” and sadly, Push The Button will be this year’s Always Outnumbered—better than the Prodigy’s offering, but still below expectations.