UNKLE – “The Road” (feat. Eska) (Singles Going Steady)

Evan Sawdey: When UNKLE debuted in 1998, part of the buzz stemmed from the fact that this project was a new outlet for the more structured, accessible melodic musings of the great DJ Shadow, still riding high off of the success of his iconic debut Endtroducing…. Yet in the Shadowless years that followed, James Lavelle has been slowly building UNKLE into something of a dark-pop warhorse, continuing the group’s ongoing brand of cryptic-yet-danceable sounds in new dimensions and with new directions. “The Road” is frentic, blessed with a genuine enthusiasm behind it that bleeds through that epic drum buildup and that smooth acoustic cooldown. As has been the case for the past few years now, “The Road” that UNKLE is going down is one worth following them on. [7/10]

Adriane Pontecorvo: Transcendent. This track soars, a multidimensional UNKLE piece as free as the open road it’s named for. Eska’s voice is a flame over dynamic instrumentals that go from frenzied to sweet and sublime over the course of the song. There’s an unedited feel to the song, a quality that has the potential to make things muddy. Here, though, it comes off as exuberance. From the entrancing opening riffs to the final bursts of sound, a monumental outing. [9/10]

Jedd Beaudoin: This is more about the production and the wall of sounds that can be built up than the composition. As a mood piece, it’s nice but I don’t know that I’ll listen to it again. Doesn’t have a whole lot to say or many places to go. [5/10]

SCORE: 7.00