Giants [CD]

I don`t think there has been an album so eagerly awaited by the fans of Chicane as there has this one. It has so much to prove and to banish the Easy to Assemble / Somersault era, that followers of Mr Bracegirdle`s work have waited with baited breath to see what would emerge from his studio. Well, after an initial delay we now have our answer... GIANTS..!
Gone is the euro-pop awkwardness of the previous offering, here we have a sublime return to form as the sound we already knew and loved from Behind the Sun and Far from the maddening crowd seeps seemlessly into this latest work. There are a couple of nods to the Somersault days but thankfully these are very limited, although in defence of Somersault there were a couple of decent tracks on there (Spirit, The way im feelin`. Its very obvious from the opening track here that Chicane has returned back to where he belongs. "Barefoot" is classic Chicane, slow to build with every little bit of added layer but wonderful to behold when it reaches its peak. "Middledistancerunner" (why no spaces i wonder?) is catchy, a good mix of old/new Chicane and wonderful Adam Young sample - a good choice for a single release, and indeed i would urge you to check the different mixes on I-Tunes. "Come Back" isn`t in the same league and does feel like a rather poor attempt at a commercial track for club play, it does not fit in well with the album, but having said that, its one of those you can`t help tap your foot too. "What am i doing here PT1" is a bleak, haunting track which reminded me a little of No Ordinary Morning from the Behind the Sun album, nonetheless it was perfectly acceptable here. Did i detect the same track layer from Middledistancerunner used again in here..? "Giants", the title track, was a little off-putting on the first play but repeated plays have given me the idea that Nick is having a laugh with this one, its so clearly not Chicane and yet it is... wonderful. "Poppiholla" is a personal favourite of mine, i liked the original very first time i heard it and i still have not tired of it. It has drawn comments from crtics but i felt it emerged at the right time and is a great example of a Chicane sample and a summer anthem all in one. "So far out to sea" - oooh, this is soooo good. I HAD to repeat play this track a few times... classic. "Where do i start?" is Chicane again back in well worn pathway territory, and all the better for it. "From where i stand" is simply stunning and i agree with another reviewer here, it would be my choice for second single release. Can`t wait to hear a Disco Citizens remix of it, or even Thrillseekers mix... "Hiding all the Stars" uses that wonderfully iconic sample from Gary Numans Cars bolted onto a meaty Chicane serving of radio friendly pop. Not his best but like Come Back, its just about acceptable. "What am i doing here PT2" has Lemar`s vocal heavily synthed and mixed, but a damn good track and yes, as stated elsewhere i can see it being a minor hit for the singer should he release it separately. As the album closes with "Titles" we have that trademark, dream-like melodic Chicane sound back again, round it off neatly... that is - if it was not for the unlisted track 13, which turns out to be remix of Middledistancerunner...
Overall - Chicane is most definitely back, and back bigtime!! This album demonstrates he cares about his fans as their complaints about the last album have not only been heard but acted upon too. It would have been nice to not have Come Back or Hiding all the Stars on here as i feel that they have done what they had to do on EP`s so their inclusion here smacks a little of laziness. Oh how good it could have been with two new tracks to replace them...?
Haunting and melodic, trancey and yet delicate, and with enough new ground taken to make this stand out as a return to form, Giants is the Chicane album we have been waiting for.
Yep... Chicane is most DEFINITELY back....!!!!!!!!!

This is a great comeback return of the trademark sound of CHICANE!!! The sound takes you on a journey through magical bliss, very reminiscent of "Far From The Maddening Crowds" and "Behind The Sun"...An emotional ambience is felt through every track that uplifts the mind, heart, body and soul...

After the patchy Somersult...Chicane have returned back to what has made them so popular and unique. Gone is the attempt at Rock/Non-dance tracks and back in are the sunlit deep instrumentals like Barefooft,Titles and Poppiholla (5am). The 5am track adds a very calm and dreamy spin on what is a well established and popular track that was released a year ago.
Gone also are Somersault's short and sweet under 5 minute tracks, here the tracks are longer and layered with different textures that take their time to build over an extended length, they are given room to build, to ebb and flow and ultimately the payoff is sweeter for it.
On this album it is the vocal tracks that stand out...gone are the predominant males vocals of Somersault and now we have female vocals that suit and compliment their dancey instrumental back ground better.
It is also clear that Chicane's songwriting has taken a giant leap since Somesault as well...the euro pop sound is replaced by the well constructed and thought out dance music that he was revered for.
There are so many stand out tracks to choose from...So Far Out To Sea features a haunting female vocal set back into a dreamy downtempo soundscape that swells and swirls around you. From Where I Stand is an uptempo dance number that has to be a future single...it is impossible to get out of your head. Where Do I Start is a bouncy summery number that is familiar yet new to those that know their Chicane tracks. Middledistancerunner is a great track with a great vocal from Owl City's Adam Young (look out for the disco citizens remix of the track which improves on the album version). Again MDR is impossible to get out of your head once listened to.
Of the two part What Am I Doing Here it is Part 2 that really excells...Lemar's vocal's are electroically altered but it works and suits a crescendo dance number that is upbeat and yet still overflowing with those now famous deep Chicane pads.

Critisisms...the tracks Come Back and Hiding All The Stars were, when they were released, part of a remake ep idea that Chicane had and didn't follow through on. Their presence on this album makes them stand out as nowhere near as good as the self penned tracks around them and interupt the flow slightly.
But hey... that's the beauty of itunes playlists, you mix an album up to how you want it and leave out tracks you don't like.

To close...Giants is not quite Far From The Maddening Crowds or Behind The Sun,they are unique in this genre. However Giants is not so far off these classics.
Fans who may not have fully appreciated the albums Easy To Assemble and Somersault or felt Chicane had lost their way, will definately feel rewarded and overjoyed by this sublime record.
Thank you Chicane for listening to your fans and producing the album they've been so desperately waiting for since 2000.