Vol. 88
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Garbage
Let All That We Imagine Be the Light
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You could argue that Garbage are enjoying something of a fabled career renaissance. The group have always been somewhat sporadic with their releases but new (eighth) studio album, ‘Let All That We Imagine Be the Light’ is their second since the world locked down.
Predecessor ‘No Gods No Masters’ was a frank indictment of the modern world and came at a time when the world was suffering. The band set about this time making a different record and leaving the socio-political analysis behind, alas that couldn’t possibly happen with the planet still facing such worrying times.
There is therefore still an undertone of challenging injustices still present on this album but as highlighted by the album title itself, the overarching theme is one of hope. The band are acknowledging the darkness but striving for the light.
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Sonically the record follows this path too and whilst still undeniably Garbage’s signature sound there is an evolutionary experimentation throughout which ensures that this is a standalone record for the now as opposed to a direct sequel for ‘No Gods No Masters’.
‘Let All That We Imagine Be the Light’ comprises ten eclectic tracks each harnessing different elements of the bands varied influences. From statement opener ‘There’s No Future In Optimism’ to epic conclusion ‘The Day That I Met God’ and all in between; this is an absorbing collection which will only further emphasise that Garbage are enjoying a real purple patch of artistry.
With their shows drawing plaudits and their recent albums gaining such admiration, hopefully we will continue to get more Garbage in our lives over the next few years because just the eight albums over their thirty-plus year career is somewhat slim pickings.
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Vol. 87
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Skunk Anansie
The Painful Truth
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SKUNK ANANSIE – THE PAINFUL TRUTH – ALBUM REVIEW
‘The Painful Truth’ represents the seventh studio album for Skunk Anansie. It is their fourth since reforming in 2009 but is also their first in nine years. It also happens to be their most ambitious and expansive selection yet!
Working with renowned producer David Sitek, the group have taken his advice to simplify their process and in doing so have conjured up an album full of complexities but elevated by the simplistic notion of writing damn good pop songs and adding that Skunk Anansie alt-rock tenacity.
This is demonstrated immediately with the statement lead single and first track ‘An Artist Is An Artist’ with its mad sax solos and extravagant groove. Each track thereafter has its own identity and style as the band showcase the eclectic influences that have made up their signature sound.
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Whilst each track stands strongly on their own, the album flows incredibly smoothly and just works so well. It always feels clichéd saying a new album is the someones best work, especially when they already carry such a strong back catalogue with them. But this album exudes those words.
This really is a stunning collection with the fierce talents of vocalist Skin naturally echoing throughout. Sometimes a break can help and after a release gap of similar length to their first split, this feels like another big comeback from one of British rock’s original disrupters.
This is a magnificent celebration of Skunk Anansie’s past but more importantly their glorious present!
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The Callous Daoboys
I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven
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THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS – I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven – Album Review
You can’t really say that The Callous Daoboys have exploded on the scene considering that they’ve been active for pushing a decade, but the group has certainly had an impactful past year.
The band have been building towards their third album, ‘I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven’, and now that record is here in all of it’s madcap glory! An actual genre-defying label applicable collection which truly defies any sense at all yet it is still absolutely fantastic.
Maniacally frantic yet oddly measured, these thirteen songs and interludes take the listener on a chaotic journey through what vocalist Carson Pace describes as his museum of failure. A personal and introspective construct which is also explained away by Pace as a “snapshot of 24-47. A scrapbook of trial and error”.
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Given that description you can only help but wonder what these years have witnessed in the life of Pace given song titles such as ‘Two-Headed Trout’, ‘Body Horror for Birds’, ‘The Demon of Unreality Limping Like a Dog’ and ‘Douchebag Safari’!
Sonically the seven-piece have manifested a ferociously brutal bombast of modern nu-metal inspired heaviness. The overriding takeaway feeling being that these songs are going to go hard when played live.
Their own journey may have been slow, but the band feel on the cusp of a bigger breakthrough and if that is the case then this is the album needed to act as a launchpad.
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Vol. 85
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Sleep Token
Even In Arcadia
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sleep token – EVEN IN ARCADIA – ALBUM REVIEW
Sleep Token are the poster children for the TikTok generation of heavy music fans. They have amassed a fanbase of fanatical followers in a timeframe not really seen in the modern music industry. Whether you love then or loathe them, you have to respect their success.
There will naturally be jealous naysayers seeking to belittle their ascent and take away from their achievements, but these mysterious masked figures have captured the imaginations of a diverse cross-section of the world.
Time comes now for those followers to worship a new offering – their fourth album, ‘Even In Arcadia’. The album very much treads the path that they’ve already forged on their releases thus far and those fans will enjoy dissecting every lyric and every sound on this record.
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The entire build towards the album has again sent those dedicated fans down many a merry path as they uncovered details of the record. Any band that can cause such hysteria over the unveiling of a tracklist must know that they are on to a winner.
Their core fanbase will not need to read any reviews of the album. They will be fully absorbing themselves into the ten tracks in the coming days. That again is some commitment with the record pushing an hour in length.
Our review then will just tackle the headlines. There is some small evolution of their signature sound but not enough to make this a truly interesting record. The most interesting facet is the most revealing and personal lyrics yet from the secretive Vessel. Sonically the album could be described as lounge music for metal fans, but that means that you’ll need to be in the right mood for this album.
Realistically you’ll again love or loathe this record based off of your pre-conceived perception of the band. It may not be earth-shattering, but it’s another step in the quest for world domination by the band of the moment.
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The Amazons
21st Century Fiction
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THE AMAZONS – 21st CENTURY FICTION – album review
In their relatively short career thus far, The Amazons have already shown that they are happy doing things their own way. A rock band who in a different generation would’ve been huge, have still managed to make a hell of a dent on their own timeline.
Their self-titled album shot them into the picture of an always challenging landscape of young bands trying to make their mark before ‘Future Dust’ served to solidify their presence in the consciousness of the current music scene. Their third album, ‘How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me’ then displayed their ambition and willingness to experiment.
One criticism that you could throw at their last album though was perhaps a lack of truly anthemic standouts. That however is rectified delightfully on their new fourth album, ‘21st Century Fiction’!
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This new collection is the best of everything The Amazons have shown that they can deliver. Those arena rock anthems are back, but their penchant for the epic and more grandiose also hits it pinnacle.
From the gradual build of the opening number ‘Living A Lie’, all the way through to the big finale of ‘Go All The Way’, this is a highly ambitious piece of artist expression which is more of an experience for listeners than a mere album.
The band have been brave but clever with both their songwriting and their album craft and the results are pretty stunning. It’s always a risk for a band to take something of a punt on themselves, but you can tell that The Amazons have poured their passionate selves into this record and the outcome is their best collection to date!
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The Kooks
Never/Know
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THE KOOKS – NEVER/KNOW – ALBUM REVIEW
The Kooks soon headlining the O2 Arena is a sure-fire sign that the alleged TikTok revival for 2000’s indie bands is real. The Kooks though aren’t one of those bands that disappeared when the going got tough only to re-appear at the whiff of some attention. They’ve been plugging away and experimenting with their sound for the past two decades instead.
Some of the intervening material was instantly forgettable but at least they were trying. They absolutely did also produce some decent new songs during recent years, proof that if you throw enough darts at the board, some will indeed hit the bullseye!
There’s much in their latest, seventh album ‘Never/Know’ that nods towards their journey and the pressures that maintaining relevance and indeed reverence can create. In amongst some telling lyrical moments there is always a sense of returning to a familiar aesthetic on the tracks.
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It’s absolutely not a u-turn back to their signature early sound though and their more exuberant side is still living and breathing throughout these tracks. Fans of all eras of the band will find something comfortable on here.
There within though can lie the problem and the elephant in the room. The indie boom of their generation was written off and maligned under the indie-landfill label for all being the same. A band like The Kooks though who are happy to try new things will always end up turning some fans off with different approaches.
It’s a lose-lose for any band of any genre but the likes of The Kooks and their contemporaries can legitimately argue that they’ve suffered heavily. Whilst there is something here for all fans to find something good in, equally there is something for all to find something bad in.
The reality? This is a good album from The Kooks, but that’s just about it. They will have some new material to air in the cavernous O2 Arena, but they shouldn’t be surprised when the crowd spend the night shouting for ‘Naïve’!
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