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Being the sort of nerd music fan that makes end of year compilations, I went a bit over the top this year and made a five CD set that included some themed discs. One of these was a Bowie in 18 set. It might be of some interest to you possibly, you can get it here. It's a gapless playback deal.
Bowie and
the 80’s. It all started off so well (Scary Monsters {and Super Creeps} and a
few spin off single productions) yet even the most ardent Bowie fan would be
hard pressed to argue that the decade was a continuation of the man’s glory
years. Yet commercially he was never healthier, scoring huge sales and massive
live engagements. So for me this latest in a series of four (so far) box sets
offers me time and a chance to re-evaluate a period that I’ve always viewed
with some disregard.
First off,
the box is another fine package, great ‘mini LP’ artwork reproductions, though
some of the details is so small I’m struggling to read it even with a
magnifying glass (aka the perils of getting old). The book contained within is
great but I’m not so keen of the cover illustration of the package. And as for
the music? Well, let’s be clear, ‘Let’s Dance’ (1983) is a fine, fully realised
in the artistic sense, complete Bowie album. It’s an era defining blueprint for
pop, it has weird, political and personal relationship numbers. The production
is amazing and the performances top rate. OK, so it showed that David was
struggling to write new songs, but I even like the so called light weights on
this album (‘Shake It’ and ‘Without You’) and the choice of covers and reworks
is considered and sublime (‘China Girl’ could not be more different from Iggy
Pops Bowie assisted original, but as a pop song it’s even more commercial than
the album’s title track). And the remaster here breathes life and detail into
the minutiae of the recording. In short, it’s never sounded better.
‘Tonight’
(1984) was a rushed and incomplete follow up, so unlike Bowie to miss an
opportunity of this scale. ‘Blue Jean’ was a decent pop hit, ‘Loving the Alien’
the albums only inspired moment, but David brought no more new solo compositions
to this set. His cover of the Beach Boys ‘God Only Knows’ is one of his most
lamented recordings, creating more disdain than even ‘The Laughing Gnome’, but
I like it, it’s heartfelt and genuine. However, the album wallows in a lack of
direction and ultimately in lack of interest from the artist. ‘Never Let Me
Down’ (1987) certainly regained direction, it brought eight new solo compositions
to the table, a couple of co-writes and another Iggy cover. A huge world tour
was built around this album. But for me, it stinks. Bowie’s only less
listenable album for me is ‘Tin Machine 2’. The songs aren’t great, but the
production is overwrought and typifies the era x10. ‘Day In, Day Out’ was an OK
single, and the title track was sweet and gentle. There’s a track on the
original that Bowie has erased from his official history to such a level that
it’s nowhere to be seen anywhere in this 11-disc (CD) collection (‘Too Dizzy’).
So, is it not so strange then a newly constructed 2018 reworking is the
centrepiece of this box set?
Well yes,
obviously, but also no. Bowie himself was involved in a 2008 reworking of ‘Time
Will Crawl’ for a compilation album and expressed a desire to revisit the album,
to realise and release what he felt was a collection of really good songs from its
trappings. This new version has virtually all new instrumentation and uses some
alternate vocal takes. To me it is an improvement on the original album, probably
preferable to ‘Tonight’ as an album now, but still suffers from some of the
original version’s weaknesses. The songs are not classics, the latter half particularly
nosedives in quality. Perhaps the main beneficiary from the 2018 rework is ‘Glass
Spider’ which is no longer cringeworthy. It is still however a failed attempt at
‘Diamond Dogs’ era scene painting and storytelling. But overall, I am pleased
that this project has been undertaken, though I hope dearly that no more Bowie
albums get this treatment (Nile Rodgers has already worked on an orchestral
version of the track ‘Let’s Dance’ for an upcoming various artist 80’s
project). For the record, both ‘Tonight’ and ‘NLMD1987’ both benefit from
sensitive remasters and like their more illustrious sibling ‘Let’s Dance’ have
never sounded better.
Also included
in this set, ‘Serious Moonlight (live 1983)’ a decent live offering though only
singles from the album David was promoting made it into the set. The sound is OK,
a bit lacking in focus, maybe down to the fact performances were largely open
air/enormodrome affairs. ‘Glass Spider (live Montreal ’87)’ perhaps sounds
better, has an interesting setlist but too much of the attendant ‘Never Let Me
Down’ album and brings back some horrible memories. Snippets of dialogue are
still present from the Broadway like in-between song exchanges and add nothing
to the experience, just as in ’87. This was the only time I saw Bowie live, I
just couldn’t do it again for fear of being similarly disappointed. It left me
standing on my seat shouting the question/statement ‘why is this so bad?’. Or
words to that effect. Neither of these live albums add to the Bowie legend in
the way other post Jan 10th 2016 live releases have. But they do
document the era.
There also ‘Dance’,
a collection of dance and dub remixes from the time. A similar project was
nearly released in the mid 80’s and would maybe have had some validity at the
time, though now it leaves me cold. Bowie made his artistic statement mostly
complete in his finished songs, and extended rehashes from outside collaborators
just add nothing. There’s also ‘Re-Call 4’, a two disc round up of single
edits, B-sides and soundtrack contributions. This actually collects some of Bowies
best works of the decade (‘This is Not America’, Absolute Beginners’, ‘Underground’,
‘When the Wind Blows’) but also has some superfluous content. Original vinyl
only edits of ‘NLMD87’ numbers anyone?
After all
of this, Bowie drew a line under solo activities for a while, attempted to
regain his mojo with the ultimately ill-informed Tin Machine, and finally re-emerged
with a second career as a still relevant ageing rocker in a fine series of
albums right until his passing. But the 80’s happened. Those of us that lived
through the decade with testify that it wasn’t all bad. A fair bit of it was
though.
Suedes
8th studio album arrives 25 years into their recording career. This includes
the 7 year break the band took from 2003 which in itself was enveloped by an 11-year
gap between albums 5 and 6. The band have built this one up as being their most
ambitious and the expectations from their feverish fans (I am one of Facebooks ‘Insatiable
Ones’ myself) matches the band expectations in scale. With a big time producer
(Alan Moulder; The Killers, U2, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins amongst many
others) and the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra present on 8 of the
albums 14 tracks there really is a feeling of reaching for new heights here.
The band have always had a big sound so how do they manage with this aiming big
strategy?
Well,
reception from very enthusiastic fans has been very enthusiastic! Myself? I’m
loving it, I feel it as a possible career highlight which has led me to go see
the band live for the first since they toured in support of album #3 ‘Coming
Up’. The band and in particular lyricist/vocalist Brett Anderson has spoken of a
theme to this album but won’t elaborate, saying he prefers the listener to read
into it and settle on the concept themselves, something I’m more than happy to
do. Musically this is a massive album, the guitar anthems are huge and the
interwoven orchestral movements, whether complimenting or leading are
wonderful. Opener ‘As One’ illustrates this, it’s cinematic, and though early
on there’s an atypical Suede riff this has an Omen overture feel to it and it
leaves you eager to hear the rest of the album. It also serves warning that
orchestra and rock meet here in one of their most perfect unions ever. ‘Wastelands’
is a huge Seudeanthem and as the chorus screams ‘When it all is much too much,
We’ll run to the wastelands’ it’s hard not to melt. The snow gets an early
mention too, and make no mistake, this a winter album, wind in your face and
cold rain pricking like needles. ‘Mistress’ shows us a different part of the
twilight town, as the other woman skulks behind her locked door, cold and
alone, but loved and needed. A brief spoken word piece (don’t cringe, it works)
leads into ‘Beyond the Outskirts’ which sounds autobiographical to anyone that’s
read Brett Andersons classy life story (vol.1) ‘Coal Black Mornings’. ‘Beyond the
outskirts, Come with us, We’ll jump out of the page’ indeed. It’s one of the
few orchestra free tracks yet it’s still massive, small town dreaming and blank
feelings all over my face. And ‘Coming Up’ riffage makes it’s first touchstone
appearance around it’s 2:20 mark which put simply makes you smile even through
the desolate picture being painted. ‘Chalk Circles’ is simply outstanding, a
synth washed nursery rhyme, feelings of abandonment, friendship bracelets and a
ring-road with a massed demonic choral hook. Scott Walker.
‘Cold
Hands’ is fabulous glitter stomp Suede, more ‘Coming Up’ era guitar feeling, it’s
an anti-anthem blast, ‘I followed you and now I want to curl up and die’ is
possibly the albums bleakest moment and it’s most helpless track. And it runs
into ‘Life Is Golden’, an absolute killer anthem, a song to Brett’s children (‘The
same blood runs through your veins’) that rises above being mawkish by simply
being amazing. ‘You’re not alone, Look into the light/You’re never alone, Your
life is Golden’. Think ‘All the Young Dudes’ 2018, really. ‘Roadkill’ is a
brave experiment, a poem about a dead bird recited as spoken word. Sound’s a
bit sixth form? But it’s lifted by its surroundings and outright bravado. ‘Today
I found a dead bird…’, haunting, inhabiting somewhere between ‘Future Legend’
and ‘Glass Spider’. A bit more Omen in the mix, it shouldn’t work… ‘Tides’ is a
slab of gothic finery, pretty desperate but powerful and still strangely
hopeful and uplifting. ‘Don’t be afraid if Nobody Loves You’ was the albums
first official single, the fact that it’s for me the weakest song here is a statement
of how good this album is because it’s still wonderful, (Suede)anthemic and
huge, promising love and beauty in a wilderness. ‘Dead Bird’ is a coda to the earlier
spoken word piece, it’s basically a field recording of Brett and one of his
kids burying a dead bird they’ve found all underpinned by the City of Prague
Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s 26 seconds long.
And here
the albums steps up and just gets better for the final climatic concerto of it’s
closing three tracks. ‘All the Wild Places’ is a none too subtle rewrite of Scott
Walkers ‘Plastic Palace People’. ‘Oh, off all the wild places I love, You are
the most desolate’ is its chorus. ‘The Invisibles’ was the first song made available
from the album and is a huge orchestral number with heavy Scott Walker
overtones too. I’d love to hear him singing these songs. This is like a
(national)anthem for Suede fans, ‘We are the invisibles, Strange and lonely’
with real life just out of reach. And as you sit thinking ‘We’ll how can they
better that?’ ‘Flytipping’ turns up and full stops the whole album. Not quite
rock opera, but close enough, orchestra drenched sections crash into piledriving
rock introduced by drum rolls so Beatlely that you swear the band have sampled
some old Oasis B-side. ‘And I’ll take you to the verges, as the paper drifts
like falling snow’ is a pretty killer line, as is the it’s closing ‘And I’ll
pick you wild roses in the tunnels by the underpass’. Lyrically, musically it’s
a peak, both the track and the album it comes from. For a band that already
have their acknowledged masterpiece (‘Dog Man Star’) this album is a masterpiece,
soon to be, I’m sure, acknowledged too.
My understanding
of the loose concept, ‘The Blue Hour’ refers too a particular time in life,
adulthood just before middle age, when you can appreciate childhood through
your offspring more than you ever did when you were a child yourself. It’s the pre-dusk
time of day and life, it’s the area between suburbia and the countryside. The fly
tipping and trash that covers the wastelands are the marks we as individuals
leave on the planet and on our descendants. That’s my take, my interpretation.
For the
financially flush (or foolish?) there’s a beautiful box set version, with CD,
LP and exclusive 7”, the brash, snotty and early Suede sounding ‘Manipulation’.
Apparently, there was nowhere it fitted into the album? It should have been wedged
in crudely, bang in the middle, like the rude awakening it is. Also in the box
is a wonderful instrumental version of the album, here, especially the more
orchestral tracks have a life, a cinematic, life of their own. It has more
gothic feel than any previous Suede album, the guitar especially bleeds Siouxsie
and the Banshees. I really haven’t bought in to an album like this since ‘Blackstar’.
Like that, this is a career highlight, in this case very possibly the artists
best.
I’ve been
a fan of Soft Cell and Marc Almond since 1981 when ‘Tainted Love’ first thrust
the duo into the public spotlight. That was 37 years ago. Almond had a great 10-disc
box set a couple of years back, he’s made many solo albums and been involved in
many collaborations and various theatrical projects in the intervening years
and was even recently given an OBE. 10 discs just didn’t seem enough. Soft Cell
though released 3 albums in their short career, a fourth followed in 2002
during a brief reunion and there’ve been remix projects etc. but my initial
reaction was ‘What do you put on a 10 disc Soft Cell set?’ when I heard of
this. Well, this is what they’ve done....
Disc One,
‘The Phonogram Hits 12” 1981-1984’ is a remastered ride through Soft Cells
glory days via the extended mixes, regarded by Dave and Marc as the definitive versions,
with just minor editing to allow them onto one disc. ‘Tainted Love’ was number
one in 17 countries and ‘Torch’ would’ve been their second number one if Gallup
had done things correctly. There are 3 other top five hits too. The later
singles weren’t as successful but were just as great. The band was a hit
machine. Everything in the box has remastered audio which has been done sympathetically
and the songs have never sounded so good.
Disc Two
gives us the B-sides to these hits. Back in the day when singles mattered and
sold many units as physical products, B-sides were important, and many bands
put a lot into them. Soft Cells B-side repertoire demonstrates this era
perfectly. Production is often a bit rougher or looser and the songs a bit less
polished, but everything here demonstrates the evolution of the band as well
the actual hits themselves do.
Disc
Three, ‘New Extended and Reworked Mixes’ is possibly my favourite set in the
box. Using (almost exclusively) original recording elements but taking
advantage of modern production techniques and tools Dave Ball has pieced
together 12 tracks from the bands past as they ‘envisaged’ them at the time.
‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ sounds a complete version now rather than a track
glued together with an instrumental version somewhat crudely. ‘Youth’ is the
anthem it always wanted to but never quite managed to be. ‘Kitchen Sink Drama’
now has the orchestral flow it tried to attain originally, and ‘Martin’ takes its
place as a genuine classic rather than the clumsy album bonus track it was once
presented as. The best thing you can say about this disc is that many tracks
actually outshine their original versions, and that’s no mean feat.
Disc Four
presents rarities, alternate versions and ‘curios’. Highlights for me are the
second album (‘The Art of Falling Apart’) extended and USA mixes. ‘Loving You,
Hating Me’ should have been a single everywhere, it would have been the albums
biggest hit I’m sure. The sound quality remains great throughout, the
remastering breathes life into tracks from third album (‘This Last Night in
Sodom’) allowing the dense sound space and clarity that I’ve not heard on it
before. And, to be fair to the aforementioned ‘Martin’, the original mix sounds
pretty epic here. The ‘Soul Inside’ demo is urgent and sparse with a great
vocal.
Disc
Five, ‘The Early Years 1978-1981’ is pretty self-explanatory, the story of the
band before hit singles and fame. There’re even three songs from the band’s
first ever gig. Although all remastered the sounds is a little questionable in
places due to the nature of the source material. But there’s so much here of
interest. The legendary self-released and financed by Daves’s mum, ‘Mutant
Moments’ is officially released on CD here for the first time ever and in the
best quality I’ve ever heard it in (I once to the horror of my wife paid 20
quid for a bootleg 7” of this record). A demo of ‘Tainted Love’ masks the mega
hit that the bands version of the song would become. There are songs the band
never released officially (some saw the light of day many years later on the
semi-official ‘Bedsit Tapes’ demo CD’s); anyone fancy a rough electronic take
on Black Sabbaths ‘Paranoid’? That’s here.
Disc Six
gives us radio sessions and tracks from 2002’s now regarded as a wasted
opportunity ‘Cruelty Without Beauty’ 2002 reunion sessions. There’s nothing
really new to entice listeners in, the BBC stuff has been out before though as
with everything else in the box it’s never sounded this good. The trio of songs
releases before the 2002 album on various compilations convey a sense of
direction that the finished album itself seemed to lack. The group even
released a song that had been considered as a single instead of ‘Tainted Love’
back in 1981, Frankie Valli’s norther soul stomper ‘The Night’. It felt like a
semi desperate attempt to recreate a moment when it was released (also see
‘Monoculture’ vs ‘Memorabilia’). It’s actually pretty decent but little to do
with the reunion added to the groups legacy or even held a candle next to most
of Marc’s solo stuff. Having said that everything sounds heavier, darker and
more enticing on these new masters.
Disc
Seven, ‘Non-Stop Euphoric Dubbing’, attempts be a ‘non-stop’ volume three with
a continuous mix of ‘dub’ mixes from across the bands catalogue. It works on
one level, it sounds great and it’s very well done but for me falls short on
another level; I don’t see myself returning to this disc for repeated listens.
But it could be a grower, there’s some great stuff on this disc.
Discs
Eight and Nine give us a 1983 Los Angeles gig and other live recordings. The
L.A. gig has the band presenting ‘This Last Night in Sodom’ to the American
public and willfully refusing to play ‘Tainted Love’ which had been a mega huge
hit in the States. The quality of the gig recorded in front a very enthusiastic
crowd is superb. It puts the bands only official live album from the ‘Cruelty
Without Beauty’ tour to shame and builds excitement for the bands upcoming
final ever show at London’s O2. There’re also four songs recorded at the
Hammersmith Palais in 83/84. These are fan recordings so the quality drops but
it’s still very listenable. Finally, there’s four tracks recorded around the UK
in 2003 and these sound great too, from the Scott Walker-ish ‘Barriers’ to a
sprightly ‘Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go’.
Disc Ten
gives us a DVD extravaganza. There’s the original ‘Non-Stop Exotic Video Show’,
original first album promos with some specially recorded bonus stuff. I feel
this could have been cleaned up and remastered to a higher standard, it’s
pretty much VHS quality here. The groups other promo videos are scooped up and
there’s plenty of BBC and other TV performances too. Most interestingly there’s
a live in May 1981 (pre-success) show. The band look as though they’re
performing from in the middle of the audience and the set is very ‘Mutant
Moments’ yet the performance is lively and its a fascinating glimpse into the
early genesis of a band on the brink of huge success. Very few artists would be
comfortable releasing something like this but then there are/were/will be very few
artists like Soft Cell. When ‘Tainted Love’ kicks in its already a lot tighter
than the demo version from earlier in the box and key elements from the
breakthrough ‘Top of the Pops’ performance are in place. The looks on the faces
of some of the audience are a joy.
(there
has been a reported issue with DVD, and indeed my copy won’t play the BBC
section. Phonogram are aware, and I believe its likely replacement discs will
be issued, so you can buy with relative confidence...)
*Since I
wrote this this morning it has been confirmed that the DVD discs will be
replaced, though the reason for the fault was a little strange, ‘hand picking
issues’…
There’s also
a nice hardcover book with an intro from both Dave and Marc and a fantastic
potted history/essay from Simon Price. As you’d expect there’s a good spread of
pictures too. The set pleases me perhaps more than I expected it too. There not
too much repetition, ‘Tainted Love’ is only represented about half a dozen
times including video’s and I’m pleased this was not just presented as the four
albums with bonus tracks which would’ve been boring. The unreleased, early rare
and ‘new stuff’ is a joy. The band have recently announced a total of three new
tracks, it’s a shame they came along too late to be included. And we have the
farewell gig in London in late September to look forward too. There plenty of
supporting merchandise out there if you want it, there is even a ‘Say Hello,
Wave Goodbye’ real ale, in pubs now and for sale at upcoming O2 show. There are
reissued albums on the way and a CD/DVD/Blu-ray of the farewell show to look
forward too. It’s been hinted that the duo could continue to work together as
some sort of ongoing studio concern but live it seems like this is it. The box
set is the icing on the cake of the bands 40th anniversary and farewell
celebrations, and it’s not overly expensive either. Highly recommended if
you’re a fan of the band or Marc Almond, or even if you’re just a casual fan
with a disposable income.
A book about two aliens coming to Earth to seek
David Bowie was always going to appeal to me. That it’s cover is a homage to ‘Low’
makes the deal sweeter. That said book is written by Richard Jobson, poet, filmmaker
and vocalist and lyricist of punk/new wave legends Skids is the cherry on top
of the trifle. It is a bit of a slow burner though I tore through the last
quarter of the book today on a couple of commuter level train journeys. The
story is presented in a no chapter mode and is well thought out and framed,
though lacking a little in originality when it comes to plot twists. After
finishing it though I can heartily say I enjoyed it, and if you’ve a passing
interest in Bowie, Sci-Fi or Skids or Jobbo then it’s well worth investigating.
Eels are an institution
now, active for nearly a quarter of a century, and here with their 12th
album proper (not to mention countless compilations, live recordings and contributions
to soundtracks and tribute albums etc…). Add the fact that a lot their subject matter
is about death, lost love, suicide, mental illness, i.e., the
institutionalised, and their place as songsmiths for the disaffected and lonely
is easy to understand. And here on this album, it is frankly and thankfully,
business as usual. Saying that makes it sound like I don’t wish E peace and
happiness, of course I do, though its doubtful this art would exist as such a
crucial happening.
Opening with
the delicate and ornate title song ‘The Deconstruction’, we can tell we are listening in to an on the
spot Eels album. Soothing chamber pop with shuffling beats, and Beatle-esque
middle eight vocals, it’s a great track. No, there’s no new ground broken, but
you don’t buy Eels records to hear them take on hip hop or something. It’s just
a bonus if they do decide to do that. ‘Bone Dry’ is able to include couplets
like ‘In my dream I see you there, your eyes fixed in a vacant state’ and a
chorus of ‘Bone dry, you drank all the blood’ with ‘Sha la la’s’ and ‘Shooby
dooby dooby do’s’. It’s what sinister unsettling pop should do, knock you about
in all directions and still leave you feeling that you know exactly where you’ve
been.
Some instrumental
passages/numbers punctuate the album in short bursts, not an essential move but
one that suits the mood. ‘Premonition’ shows the light/dark feel of Eels
perfectly, a hymnal gentle guitar motif with choral like backing vocals under
the hook ‘I had a premonition, it’s all gonna be fine, you can kill or be
killed, but the sun’s gonna shine’. If you’ve not read any of main man Mark ‘E’
Everett’s musings on his life and the troubled family history he has come
through, then you really should (’Things The Grandchildren Should Know’). A
short, not physically taxing read that has a weight that makes a feel of a much
larger book, his well-written prose is a perfect companion to virtually any
Eels release.
The music
throughout is both informed by the modern whilst pinioned by nostalgic tips of
the hat. Strings are heavy, choral subtexts never far from the surface, without
ever feeling saccharine or trite. And moods swing, the mellow, funereal ‘The
Epiphany’ leaps straight into the pop blast of ‘Today is the Day’, handclaps,
riffs and twee keyboards. This jaunty little number leads into ‘Sweet Scorched
Earth’, ‘I love the way your hair falls on your eyes, and the way the sun hits
them as it dies, there’s poison in the water and the sky’. This is Eels, I wouldn’t
have it any other way. This is all wrapped up in an orchestral chamber pop package
that sounds like it’s being played by angels.
But negatives
are always counter balanced with hope and a positive. Birdsong interlude is
followed by ‘Be Hurt’. ‘Come on be hurt, you know you can take it’ is finished
with ‘and I’m not gonna let it destroy you’. E has really become the perfect
singer for all this bitter sweetness. His delivery is always assured and
concise. The following track declares ‘in your darkest night of the soul, you
are the shining light’ over more handclaps and a Motown beat’. ‘There I said It’
is basically ‘I Love you, there I said it’ as a song, albeit a morose piano
ballad song.
‘Archie’ is a
lullaby for E’s son, born when his father was 54. At 55 now, E and Archie’s
mother have divorced. The final filmic instrumental ‘The Unanswerable’ should
have bled (instead there’s a pause) in to the closing ‘In Our Cathedral’, a
battening down of the hatches manifesto. This is Eels first album in four
years, quite a gap for a prolific artist/band. They’re on such great form here
that I hope that either they don’t take four more to return, or if they do then
that record is as considered and finely crafted as this one, a truly latter day
classic Eels album. 9/10
The Decemberists from Portland, Oregon return
with their eighth album. Wikipedia quotes them as an ‘indie pop/baroque pop’
band, I’ve always found them a bit folk rocky with emphasis on the indie rock
side. This album sees more modern pop sounds take a leading role, mainly
through synths being higher up in the mix. On lead single ‘Severed’ I felt this
watered down their identity a bit, but the good news is that the album works
with any new designs adding to the bands character.
The bands songs have always taken a story
telling approach and their best songs have often had a darker edge (Listen to ‘The
Rake’s Song’ from 2009’s ‘The Hazards Of Love’) and last year they released the
magnificent ‘Ben Franklins Song’ as part of the ‘Hamildrops’ mixtape project
linked to ‘Hamilton’ the Broadway musical. It was a magnificent snarly aggro
pop gem, sweary and angsty and an instant classic. This new album deals in part
with the feeling of despair, depression and absurdity of the US 2016 election
result that many Americans felt in the aftermath.
Leading off with second single ‘For Once In My
Life’ a pacey strummed acoustic guitar leads to a fairly familiar sounding
Decemberists song, albeit underpinned by fairly Brit sounding synths and with a
slightly simpler lyric than many a song by the group. ‘Cutting Stone’ lyrically
is more traditional fare for the band, a fluid bass line underpinning a simple
beat song again punctuated by balanced synth melodies. ‘Severed’ starts like an
early OMD song and sounded quite alarming as the albums first single. Here on
the album it compliments the mood of the record as an overall and whilst not
falling into ‘classic’ status it certainly makes more sense than it did as a standalone
track. The synthy feel on the songs so far evokes for me a feel of latter-day
Arcade Fire too.
‘Starwatcher’ is a military beat driven
percussive monster with hint’s of Led Zep lyrically. ‘Tripping Along’ is a
lusty and romantic near ballad, ‘Your Ghost’ a stalkerish psych out that for
some reason reminds me of Terry Hall’s post Fun Boy Three group The
Colourfield. ‘Everything Is Awful’ raises the bands baroque pop flag, whilst ‘Suckers
Prayer’ is perhaps the most traditionally American rock the band have ever been,
we’re almost treading in ‘The Band’ territory, the prayers refrain… ‘I want to
love somebody, but I don’t know how…I want to throw my body in the river and
drown’.
On first hearing ‘We All Die Young’ I had to
check that Suzi Quatro didn’t have a co-write credit as it’s almost a re-write
of ‘Can The Can’ or something, and it’s magnificent. The most pop moment here,
a trashy glam stomp that’s pretty out of character but all the more memorable for
it. ‘Rasulka, Rusalka/Wild Rushes’ is a slow burner gradually climbing to a
climax tale of compulsion and longing whilst blind to the danger laying ahead. It’s two songs carefully
melded into one and is a second album highlight in a row. Then the album closer
and title track slopes in, like the opener the vocal over strummed guitar with
some tweeness in its instrumental middle section.
Throughout the album songwriter Colin Meloy’s
vocal entices and holds interest which is a constant through the Decemberists
recorded catalogue. This might not be the bands best work, but it is a well
balanced and consistent collection, if you miss classic REM or are searching
for pop along the lines of the Divine Comedy and have not checked out the
Decemberists before, then I heartily recommend that you give ‘I’ll Be Your Girl’
a go.
8/10 Also, because, why not, here's a classic Decemberists song.
