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Sleep and Release
[Chemikal Underground]
On the cover sleeve, a naked woman holds in her hands what could be a record, or a rusty circular saw, or maybe both... One couldn't have better illustrated what comes out of this brilliant new album of the Glasgow-based quartet (Arab Strap, Mogwai, Belle and Sebastian, The Delgados). Their gloomy and extremely rich rock music, a crazy and unlikely mix of electronic sounds, post-rock and even metal, permanently goes from softness to violence, from fragility to rage. Therefore, an a priori quiet, acoustic with serious vocal track can, at any time, change to a thunderstorm of guitars and screams, thanks to the ability of Craig B.'s voice to go from an extreme to the other (Older, Wood). Even if these explosions are finally rare, the result is an intensity and emotional strain that won't let anybody unscathed. Fortunately, the album ends on a bright and quiet note with an untitled, almost instrumental and irresistible track. Beware, dangerous record ahead.
Renaud Martin |
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