Wow, it seems like these guys took a turn. Though when the groove of "Starbursters" takes you away bobbing your head it's kind of hard to argue with it. This Irish band is now playing a hooky-as-hell version of Brit-pop that is more infectious than the post-punk they busted out on the last album. The songwriting is in a poppier direction but without feeling like they are selling out. The vocals were given more room to work their magic and Grain Chatten has really come into his own as a singer. Granted some of the credit goes to producer James Ford, who has also worked with HAIM, Depeche Mode, and Florence and the Machine. He obviously knows how to dial vocals in the right way and give everything the space it deserves to make the most of the melodies.
This is also the band's fourth album, so they know what they are doing, and seem to have a firm grasp on where they want to take it. If you want to hear the band's more Clash-influenced take on punk, then this is not the album for you as they have grown past that point. I could stand to have the guitar more present in the mix, but for what is going on here, I will take what I can get. There is plenty of strumming going on with "In the World Modern" but it is more of a ballad. It reminds me a little of Tears For Fears if they covered a song from the last Taylor Swift album.
"Bug" finds them still having some of the attitude that pervaded previous work, but streamlined into this more Brit pop-flavored delivery, where the guitar is strummed in a manner that owes more to the Verve or Oasis. This vibe carries over into "Motorcycle Boy". I think they are most effective when locked into more of a groove, but the mellower direction still works well enough. I find myself waiting for when they are going to jump back into that sort of thing, but instead, they go into more of a dream-pop atmosphere for "Sundowner" the more melancholic mood, which also works for me since I am a depressed person, so I can co-sign this direction as well.
"Horseness is the Whatness" is another ballad, this time it feels like a psychedelic show tune. Reverbed-out surf guitar creeps along the edges. "Death Kink" has more of the punk undercurrent lurking under it, with the band kicking in with a more Pixies-like energy. This makes it one of the album's best songs. A grungy single-note guitar solo comes in to add more 90s vibes. "Favourite" has a happier strum to it, that feels like one of the Cure's radio hits, but more cheerful than what I prefer from these guys, but they pull it off well. I will give this album a 9.5, as it's a leap forward in terms of songwriting, even if they have stepped away from some of the things that got me into them. It's hard to argue with something that works.
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