Pink is totally in. Or so would be the impression given off
by eccentric Welsh six piece Los Campesinos!, whose marketing for fifth album No Blues consisted mostly of gifs with
that one linking factor. Their new album wasn’t really given a whole lot of
fanfare, and seemed to have been recorded pretty much in secret (though
shifting base from eastern Spain to north-west Wales will do that). So how have
four records shaped the group’s sound and ideology over the past seven years?
The band’s intent, if the endless pink wasn’t a big enough
hint, is shown in opener For Flotsam,
which bursts into life like a fuschia blooming in time-lapse. It shows a further
move toward maturity, a more polished sound, which says a lot remembering the
hallowed depths of their previous effort. Promotional single What Death Leaves Behind further shows
off the group’s newfound organisation, with not a note falling out of place -
barring perhaps lead vocalist Gareth’s wobbly contributions that have been a
staple of the group’s sound since its inception.
Even the subject matter and inspiration remains true to the
script; A Portrait Of The Trequartista As
A Young Man, like much of the record (and indeed their discography thus
far), contains numerous references to death, blood and football, most of which
are twisted and played with like lyrical playdough to make their points.
Keyboard-laden Cemetery Gaits is much
the same, but the sprightliness by this point subsides to make way for the real
crux of No Blues’ message.
Certainly if a massive overhaul in sound was expected, some
might be disappointed. But the real devil is in the smaller, oft-overlooked
details. Tying down LC!’s sound has always been difficult, but what was
practised in Hello Sadness has been
perfected here. Glue Me uses the
group’s newfound precision to drive home their world-weary outlook, as Gareth
drones a metaphor-fuelled ballad over a softly flowing river of instrumental.
"I am a magpie solo,
the sorrow that makes you salute, pounding the earth for the early worm, I may
be a glutton but it’s good for my glutes", he mutters on the epic midsection
that is As Lucerne/The Low; the song
showcases a well-trained eye for melody and a good hook to propel from. It
manages to become an introspective pondering with a bit of foot-tapping on the
side - a concept that next track, Avocado,
Baby, grabs onto and squeezes the life from like an over-enthusiastic boa.
Easily the most unashamed pop to be found on the album, it almost seems like a
deliberate callback to the band’s earlier, more carefree work that they
otherwise make every effort to avoid replicating these days ("A heart of stone, rind so tough it’s crazy,
that’s why they call me the avocado, baby"). Perhaps it’s a descent into
silliness, but it’s far from unwelcome and crucially doesn’t throw off the feel
of the record.
Let It Spill again
goes straight for the aural jugular, which makes The Time Before The Last Time’s hymn-like sound incredibly jarring.
It’s certainly a downer of a track, bringing us crashing straight back to earth
- or indeed into a body of water, as it goes into Selling Rope (Swan Dive Into the Estuary), a song based on the
little-explored analogy of going diving while the planet is ablaze. The tinkle
of a piano in the foreground is a welcome touch (of cool water, perhaps?), and
the mellowness of the closing song, building into a violently spat parting remark, is
very much appreciated.
So while No Blues
still stubbornly refuses to retreat back into the childish joyride that
propelled the band into the spotlight - come on guys, your debut was fantastic
- it is instead another stepping stone for Los Campesinos!, who are constantly
maturing, sounding tighter and tighter, and offering the most candid views from
the most candid viewpoint. It doesn’t reinvent the LC! wheel, it just lathers
it with pink paint.
No Blues by Los Campesinos!
is released on October 28 via Turnstile Records.
JS
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