After a three-year absence, Dumbing Up marks the return of leader Karl Wallinger, and he manages to recapture the magic of previous efforts such as Goodbye Jumbo and Bang! During Wallinger's hiatus, interest in the band had grown after their song "She's the One" became a hit for British pop star Robbie Williams.
For the most part, Wallinger delivers, ably demonstrating his considerable strengths as a writer, arranger, and lyricist.
The album is a mix of influences, but chief among them is Bob Dylan.
Several songs, such as "Who Are You," feature bare-boned guitar arrangements that let the wordplay stand out.
Other '60s influences abound.
The lead single, "Here Comes the Future," is an intriguing bit of retro-soul while "Another 1000 Years" plays like a Beatles ballad.
After a lackluster 1997 release, Egyptology, Wallinger redeems himself with an agreeable album that is more comforting than it is groundbreaking.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Here Comes the Future | World Party | Play | 04:44 | 10 MB | 32 MB |
| 2 | High Love | World Party | Play | 06:50 | 15 MB | 39 MB |
| 3 | Best Place I've Ever Been | World Party | Play | 03:26 | 7 MB | 25 MB |
| 4 | You're a Hurricane, I'm a Caravan | World Party | Play | 04:02 | 9 MB | 23 MB |
| 5 | See the Light | World Party | Play | 05:19 | 12 MB | 38 MB |
| 6 | Santa Barbara | World Party | Play | 04:23 | 10 MB | 23 MB |
| 7 | Always on My Mind | World Party | Play | 08:34 | 19 MB | 42 MB |
| 8 | Another Thousand Years | World Party | Play | 05:30 | 12 MB | 39 MB |
| 9 | What Does It Mean Now | World Party | Play | 04:59 | 11 MB | 33 MB |
| 10 | Til I Got You | World Party | Play | 03:42 | 8 MB | 25 MB |
| 11 | Who Are You | World Party | Play | 05:06 | 11 MB | 36 MB |
| 12 | I Thought You Were A Spy | World Party | Play | 03:32 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 60 mins | 137 MB | |||||
| 60 mins | 384 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | World Party | Primary Artist |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |