Highlights: Preachers, Shatter Together, This Time, Chameleon
After a couple of
unassuming folksy sleepers I’ve recently reviewed, “hell yeah” was my initial
and, let’s face it, inevitable reaction to My Jerusalem’s new album. Thumping
bass guitar, tasteful screams, colourful (though never oppressive) darkness and
strong, palpable melodies – all makes for a compelling, rocking album that is
in all fairness one of the year’s best.
Preachers
is a bit like an indie version of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds with much
bigger mass appeal. And who would have a problem with that? I will admit that
some of this stuff gets really close to mainstream rock we all know and despise,
but don’t worry: the edge is always retained, whether through clever backing
vocals, brilliant instrumentation or just sheer class these guys have.
Class comes primarily courtesy
of songwriting, of course. Which is quite diverse: you’ve got the brassy,
infectious “This Time” (my personal favourite); you’ve got the catchy,
seductive, almost anthemic “Shatter Together”; you’ve got the screaming,
testosterone-fuelled rocker “Born In The Belly” that features some inspired
guitar work; you’ve got the rough folk-ballad “Mono”; you’ve got the sombre,
melancholic singalong “Chameleon”... They do stumble into ‘good, but ordinary’
category on occasion (“Oh Little Sister” is rather generic and “Between Space”
is rather bland), but overall I do not have too many complaints.
This is the sort of
album that would normally unite mainstream and non-mainstream audiences, and so
I won’t hesitate and recommend this to anyone. Not overwhelming stuff, but I’d
call Preachers mildly great.
8/10
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