Monday, June 09, 2003
The album I've been listening to too much recently has been Spiritualized's Let It All Come Down. Having got into them with Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space I'd initially found Let...Down something of a disappointment (ooh, I had to struggle to avoid that one, but I felt that going for the obvious would have been a let down of- damn) but it's a grower, turning down the number of 'quiet bits' in favour of full band 'freak outs', but turning up references to thwarted love, God, Jesus, drugs, love being tough up to eleven. Second single 'Do It All Over Again' is a bit of a disappointment but the rest of the album is blinding, especially 'The Twelve Steps' which mixes up all the familiar Spiritualized themes while the band go mad in the background. The gospel element comes out strongest in the final two tracks 'Won't Get to Heaven (The State I'm In)' and 'Lord Can Your Hear Me' where Jason is joined by a gospel choir, 'Won't get to Heaven' being a song that may well be in my top ten of songs ever, and the one that's brought me closest to tears since hearing 'All Apologies' for the first time after Cobain died.
At a time when most bands seem to think that being adventurous and daring is to sample obscure Kung-fu films a band that is able to build up and maintain such a rich number of sounds is something to be thankful for. And at such an intensity without falling into bathos.
At a time when most bands seem to think that being adventurous and daring is to sample obscure Kung-fu films a band that is able to build up and maintain such a rich number of sounds is something to be thankful for. And at such an intensity without falling into bathos.
