4 out of 5

Label: Warp

Produced by: Richard D. James

Ear-splitting shred of Ventolin aside, …I Care Because You Do is perhaps Richard D. James’ most accessible record.  Which isn’t, of course, to say it isn’t without its listening learning curve, and the dollop of jaw-dropping stylistic blending genius we’ve somewhat come to take for granted, but there almost seems to be a conscious decision to play with expectations a bit: melding the harshness of early AFX with the ambient noodlings of Aphex Twin to produce something razor-edged, but then also smooth and polished as any given radio single.  But then further on, after giving us about an EP’s worth of this balance, the album peels back, winking, and calms down, somewhat repeating concepts but with the bite tuned down to a downtempo nibble, as though James is content in having shown a new standard and now equally happy to prove capable of laying down some slick grooves.  It’s subtle, and quite effective: the album’s latter, calmer half is repeatably enjoyable and more confident in execution than James’ peers would or could attempt, but not necessarily memorable in comparison to when you hit play from the album’s start again: your ears are arrested in a jolting reminder of how abrasive Aphex can be.  So you walk away with a clear picture of Aphex Twin being something challenging, and daring, but with earholes still intact thanks to the disc’s pre-programmed cooldown session.

A pretty ideal listening experience.