Squaring The Circle comes 19 years after the last Sneaker Pimps album, Bloodsport. A lot happened in the period between the two albums. Chris Corner formed the successful solo project IAMX and Liam Howe became a respected producer, with big-name collaborations with people like Lana Del Rey and Ellie Goulding under his belt. Suffice it to say that neither was desperate for a new Sneaker Pimps record; never mind the audience for an album by the duo, which moved on in the 18-year period. So, do Corner and Howe, neither of whom has much (if any) interest in the Sneaker Pimps brand, have anything good to offer in this release? Well, like most things, the answer is complicated.

For better or worse, the duo has reinvented itself here. Gone are the edgy guitars, seedy—almost bloodcurdling—vocals, and sound that could be strategically rough around the edges by design; heck, these are the qualities that made this band’s music so unique among the other trip-hop acts of their time. Squaring The Circle has a smooth and glossy sound, which is deliberate. Consider the singer they have collaborated with, Simonne Jones, whose vocals have a sophisticated and soulful quality, a far cry from Kelli Ali or Corner’s grimy vocals on prior albums.

Squaring The Circle is heavy on electronic sound. At times, it even feels like listening to post-2000 era Depeche Mode: slow and tedious electronic music that is produced to sound sanitized. A good five songs harbor this trait, and taint the rest of the album, as a result. “Squaring the Circle,” “Stripes,” “Paper Room,” “Black Rain,” and “Immaculate Hearts” are criminally boring and have been scrubbed clean of any personality!

The musical direction of the rest of the album isn’t any different, but Corner and Howe put in some commendable effort in saving Squaring The Circle from sheer soullessness. In fact, there are some real gems here. “Fighter,” “Child In The Dark,” “No Show,” and “So Far Gone”—all featuring Jones as the lead vocalist—are gorgeous and outstanding. Granted, these tracks sound more like they are from mellowed-out counterparts of Sneaker Pimps like Morcheeba or Lamb; nevertheless, they are brilliant.

The other parts of the album aren’t too bad either. Although overall, Corner sounds tired and bored (there’s nothing like his fiery vocals on previous Pimps albums or on IAMX), though his haunting falsetto on “Tranquility Trap” brings back some good old memories. Also, thankfully, his uniquely Spanish-styled acoustic guitars—the only remnants from the pre-breakup SneakerPimps—are well represented on this record.

Ultimately, Squaring The Circle is a net positive. If you shave off five songs, it is a pretty good album, at a good 48 minutes in length. You would appreciate it even more if you were free from the bias of the group’s previous works or of IAMX. Apparently, the album title comes from squaring the circle, a seemingly impossible process, which describes the relationship between Howe and Corner and the unlikeliness of them reforming: while the album has its moments of awe, it doesn’t do enough to convince the listener to want more of this particular version of Sneaker Pimps... alas!

Rating: B-

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