7/10

Having spent the last few years collaborating with The Void Pacific Choir for a pair of so-so releases, Moby now returns by himself to release his fifteenth studio album 'Everything Was Beautiful, And Nothing Hurt'. And while the producer has made a career embarking on the more brooding and intense sounds of electronica, as its title suggests, this new release sees him embark on a far more upbeat direction that seems to suit him a lot more than we would have thought.

For the sake of argument, 'Everything Was Beautiful, And Nothing Hurt' is far more a trip-hop album than anything else. Moby is best known for bringing together a diverse range of influences and ideas in his music, but by focusing himself on one particular genre, he has managed to create a more succinct release than what we have heard from him in quite a while. With tracks that include 'Like A Motherless Child' and 'The Waste Of Suns' adding some serious heat to the record, this definitely feels like his best work in years.

It may have been a long time since Moby was the serious player he once was, but this new material definitely feels like a reinvention in the right direction. Confident and cohesive throughout, it looks like the beatmaker has got his groove back.