The Music - 'Welcome To The North' (Virgin)
4/5
By: Toby L
Psychedelic stoner beatniks, The Music. First, they command the whirlwind tornado chaos of techno-punk-majesty that constituted their epic, eponymous debut. Now they go and rock the shit out of our bony arses.
'Welcome To The North' is a record that refuses to be played at a low audible resonance; you can almost imagine a 'Spinal Tap'-esque scene in which the band mixed the record:
Robert Harvey, floppy locks concealing his hearing, sternly: 'Can it not go louder?'
Brendan O' Brien, the shuddering producer: 'But, but... it's already... on full, Mr Harvey.'
Bob H: 'WHAT?! We pay you a substantial advance and extortionate royalty-fee for... WHAT!?'
Yet, realistically, the harder direction was perhaps somewhat predictable from the outset. Indicative of the velocity and euphoria that defines their quite extravagant live performances, The Music's 'WTTN' was worked on by a man (O' Brien) whose CV numbers Stone Temple Pilots and certain demigods of the modern US rock era; until then, hardly a Kippax, Leeds quartet with a penchant for Zep-style riffage, whirling hairdo's and a certain whiff of the wacky backy about 'em scraped his portfolio.
But, now it has, he - and we - should be grateful. This is a colourful, vivid, frantic and very slightly fantastic follow-up album. It takes the intense degrees of the prior LP's standouts - 'The Truth Has No Words'; 'Getaway'; 'Too High' - and reworks them to pouting, grisly new pastures. The title-track opener is encumbered with dark atmospherics, 'Freedom Fighters' is as beautiful and riotous as the idea of Robert Plant and Jimmy Page putting their differences aside and deciding not to hate each other, while six and a half minute wig-out 'Bleed From Within' is enveloping and as grandiose as U2 taking a collective, four-way dump.
'Breakin', meanwhile, bears an addictive, nagging, instrumental/vocal exhortation that comes on like The Stone Roses penning the theme-anthem to the official Cricket Championships 2005 (or whatever crackers ceremony they hold as the big one); 'Cessation' is hi-hat destruction ferocity; 'Fight The Feeling' provides the mid-LP ballad and harmony-laden respite; 'Guide' is a robotic, distorted-bass march; 'Into The Night' is a very 80s emblem of awkward introspection; 'I Need Love' is a welcome alternative to the wiry disco/post-punk in present abundance; and 'Open Your Mind' is an endearing acoustic anthem - more stadium-standard, than 'round the campfire, mind: this lot never were into the 'subtle' malarkey, were they now.
All things considered - 'Welcome...' is a heroic feat of youthful passion against zeitgeist trend and cautiously coiffured locks. Harvey and band are a four-strong army of irresistible, seismic turbo-rock stature, whose every move of faultless ambition deserves instant recognition. And delirious acclamation. Follow them.
Artists in this article: The Music
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