Liam Reviews: They Might Be Giants, WU LYF, Enter Shikari, Angine de Poitrine, and more!

 Melvins and Napalm Death - Savage Imperial Death March

Grind and sludge might be words more befitting of a 1930s miner heading down the pit, but in actual fact it's pretty much what this album is. I mean this in the sense that Melvins are long renowned innovators of Sludge Metal, where Napalm Death are seen as the foundation of Grindcore. Though both are sub-genres of the metal genre as a whole, their differences are fairly significant, which makes such a collaboration album quite a unique proposition.

It's an album that essentially functions as two legendary bands  spreading their wings and having some fun. 'Nine Days of Rain' is definitely the high point as it leans more toward sludgier textures, where opening track 'Tossing Coins into the Fountain of F*ck' leans more toward Napalm Death's grindcore style. 'Rip the God' also goes pretty hard in finding a nice balance between the two.

All that said, there are too many moments that are just odd and don't really go anywhere - 'Some Kind of Antichrist' has no reason to go on as long as it does (nine minutes, most of which are weird glitchy sounds), nor does closing track 'Death Hour', though at least that ends amusingly with the keyboard riff from Van Halen's 'Jump' for no particular reason. All in all, it sounds like they're having fun, but that doesn't always translate to quality the whole way through.

6/10

They Might Be Giants - The World is to Dig

Regardless of whether or not they might or might not be giants, they've been doing their thing since the eighties, and The World is to Dig marks album number 24 for the art-rock legends. The major appeal of TMBG is of course their ability to laugh at themselves and the world around them, and there's no shortage of that here, nor is there a shortage of glorious harmonies and melodies. So it's refreshing that after four decades, the duo have lost none of what made them such a brilliant act.

Take for instance 'Je N'en Ai Pas', which is seemingly the band using their minimal Duolingo French over a blistering punk-lite instrumental - it's as hilarious as it is superb. Then there's the infectious almost REM-esque 'Wu-Tang', whose harmonies are absolutely heaven-sent. It's a firm reminder that TMBG are way more than simply loveable clowns.

Is it their best album? I mean, there are 24 of them and I've only listened to the earliest ones, so I'd have to get back to you on that. But is it a good album? Absolutely it is, clocking in at just under 45 minutes across 18 stupendous tracks. Not all of them perfect of course, but the fact such an iconic duo are still doing their thing (and brilliantly) should be cherished.

7.5/10

The Twilight Sad - It's the Long Goodbye

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and this is definitely the case with The Twilight Sad's first album since 2019's It Won't Be Like This All the Time (an eerie title when you consider what followed in 2020). It's also album number six since their 2007 debut, which suggests a lot more time, care, and attention goes into each record than most bands. This definitely shines through on the latest record, which features contributions from Robert Smith of The Cure.

Perhaps appropriately enough, Disintegration is a record that comes to mind in terms of a comparison point, with the extended instrumentals and occasional walls of noise. That noise pairs perfectly with the heavy subject matter of parental dementia, and as a result, the album is a devastating listen. Especially on tracks like 'Back to Fourteen', where James Graham sings of yearning to be fourteen once more, though it's ambiguous as to whether he's yearning or lamenting that stage of his life. 

It's possibly the standout here, though 'The Ceiling Underground', and 'Inhospitable/Hospital' pack the emotional punch you'd expect from a Twilight Sad album, and even more so in light of that aforementioned subject matter. All that said, it's not an album for all seasons - it very much suits a specific mood. It's also hard to say after only a few listens for sure, but it feels like an album that will, given requisite time, grow on any listeners eventually.

7/10

Damaged Bug - Zuzax

Damaged Bug is the solo project of Osees/Oh Sees/OCs ringleader John Dwyer, who in terms of output over the last decade, could well be one of the most prolific artists around. In fact, Dwyer's output goes far beyond the last ten years, with well over 50 albums released under one of his many monikers since the early 2000s.

It's virtually impossible to keep track of which project is which, but Damaged Bug isn't a massive departure from his output with Osees, bar the fact it's perhaps more bare bones, and a touch more experimental. A lot of the stuff here also probably couldn't be labelled as garage rock; rather it's a mishmash of experimentalism without a clear main idea. Then again, with an artist so prolific in terms of releases, it's hard to expect consistency.

A lot of stuff here, to its credit, does sound a lot groovier with some more pulsating basslines throughout, such as 'HOAK' for instance. But then you have weird aimless instrumentals like 'JUNK FOOD' that really go nowhere fast, and sadly the rest of the album resembles the latter track a lot more. Put simply, there's nothing really here worth your attention that even comes close to any of Osees output.

4/10

My New Band Believe - My New Band Believe

Though Geordie Greep often took a lot of the attention in Black Midi (as well as with last year's excellent solo record, The New Sound), Cameron Picton felt like one of the most underrated and underappreciated cogs in a phenomenal machine. After all, as well as his incredible bass work on countless songs, he provided excellent vocals to songs like 'Slow', 'Near DT, MI', and the hypnotic 'Speedway'. 

Now though, on his new project's debut album, the shackles are completely loose and it's pretty fascinating on the whole. With a run time of 36 minutes over eight tracks, that does of course mean there are some longer centrepieces namely the haunting 'Heart of Darkness' and the sprawling 'Actress'. 

'Love Story' is probably the best thing on here, and it follows the aforementioned 'Heart of Darkness' to provide the best overall 13 minutes of the album. The rest of the album, though bold in its ambitious scope, doesn't leave the same lasting impression. Perhaps, like some of Black Midi's later work, it requires more time and attention to truly appreciate - after all, there's no denying the quality of the performances here. 

7/10

White Denim - 13

I still recall listening to White Denim's rambunctious debut album Workout Holiday back in 2008, when the looping hypnosis of opening track 'Let's Talk About It' was more than enough to get my attention. They maintained that attention with 2009's Fits, which dabbled in yet more genres - the soulful 'Syncn' just showcasing one example of this band's incredible versatility.  The shimmering 'Street Joy' from 2011's D was yet more proof.

Rather incredibly, 13 marks album number...errm...13. Of course Blur fans will recognise it's not the first album ever to be called 13, but this is a far cry from that level of experimentalism that, incidentally, has been a huge part of the band's career.

Instead, this 13 feels more balanced and seems to have direction right the way through. That being said, it's somewhat to the detriment of any kind of major excitement, with none of the songs (bar perhaps 'That's Rap' or 'Earth To') really pushing the boat out in any kind of exciting or meaningful way. Sure, the vocals and the instrumentation are all excellent - but there just seems to be a little something lacking here.

6/10

Teen Suicide - Nude Descending Staircase Headless

Teen Suicide are a band that have long piqued my interest, particularly a couple of tracks from their debut - namely 'give me back to the sky' and 'the same things happening again and again' (yes, these are all lower case).  Both tracks embody both a youthful emo nihilism and a general existential dread that nothing really matters. Frankly a band name has never suited a band so aptly.

Some fourteen years on from this debut comes the brilliantly named Nude Descending Staircase Headless which sounds just as chaotic as you might expect from such a band/album name combo. It doesn't always come off well, with an argument to say that too many different things are happening at once. It's highly inconsistent, which isn't necessarily always a bad thing, but here it is a little bit to the album's detriment.

The highlights are generally outstanding here amidst the somewhat sludgy rest of the album - 'Suffering (Mike's Way)' is the most upbeat sounding song about being suicidal that I can recall. 'Hypnotic Poison' sees Kitty Ray take vocal duties over an uncharacteristically synth led backdrop, which builds to an eerie ending. 'Not Born to Run' sees Sam Ray take on vocal duties once more, over a more fundamentally Teen Suicide emotive guitar-led instrumental - it's sparse at first, but it ascends into something somehow simultaneously heavenly and hopeless. As said, the highs truly are exquisite, and there are just about enough of them to award this album a decent score.

7/10

WU LYF -  A Wave That Will Never Break

Back in 2011, WU LYF (which stands for World Unite Lucifer Youth Foundation) released an album that quite rightly gained the mysterious Manchester group a cult following. From Ellery Roberts' raspy and genuinely unparalled vocals, right the way through to the anthemic and ethereal guitars, Go Tell Fire on the Mountain is still a pretty special record 15 years on. They described themselves as 'heavy pop', which is kind of on the money.

And of course it feels on brand that the band should release their second album after those fifteen years. The devastation of songs like 'Such a Sad Puppy Dog' and the euphoria of the likes of 'We Bros' are both still very much present on this latest album, and fundamentally not much has changed. But therein lies the majesty of A Wave That Will Never Break. At only seven tracks long and 45 minutes, it feels like one of those albums that in a perfect world would go down as a modern classic.

It's hard to pinpoint what, but there's clearly some overwhelming devastation underpinning the album, but then there's also a nonchalance in the face of that devastation. If penultimate track 'Wave' is the gorgeous culmination of this heartache (and it is utterly, utterly gorgeous with its refrain of 'Sweet Lord, I'm ready for you now'), then 'At the End of the Day (It Is What It Is)' is a mantra - life goes on, even after things fall apart in every conceivable way. This is before I've even mentioned the epic ten minutes of 'Tib St. Tabernacle', or the equally stunning heartbreak of 'Letting Go'.  Put simply, you'll be hard pressed to find a better album this year.

10/10

Enter Shikari - Lose Your Self

Enter Shikari are often a source of local pride for me - quite often when mentioned, I'll immediately point out they're from the same county as me, albeit in St. Albans rather than Stevenage. Still, close enough, right? 

Anyway, the surprise release of Lose Your Self, which the band chose to release without any singles or lead-ups, marks album number eight for the post-hardcore/electronica quartet, and it may well be among their best. Of course their outstanding and timeless debut still remains their best by quite some distance, but Lose Your Self has some of the bands most edgy and profound material in equal measure.

As you might expect, politics is central to this album, and it's unfortunate that so few bands or artists seem to be as poltically inclined as Shikari. 'I Can't Keep My Hands Clean' is under two minutes, but it may be the punkest thing Shikari have ever done. What follows is 'It's OK', which is both hilarious and grim in its commentary on the existential nightmare we face in light of imminent apocalypse and vacuous corporate responses. It's the outstanding three-part swansong 'Spaceship Earth' that really puts the icing on the cake as one of the most intense and gorgeous songs the band has put out. It's an album that takes a while to acclimatise to, but one that you'll have no regret in doing so.

8/10

Angine de Poitrine - Angine de Poitrine Vol II

Where to even begin with Angine de Poitrine? They've blown up over the last few months, and it's fairly easy to see why with their unorthodox costumes and their difficult to pigeonhole sound. Angular, groove-driven, occasionally microtonal and Middle Eastern sounding, their 2nd full length album is a pretty fun listen. But is there much substance beyond that fun?

With six tracks over 36 minutes, if there's one word to sum up the album it's tight. No second is wasted whatsoever. Opening track 'Fabienk' is undoubtedly the best thing here, which leaves the album feeling as if it peaks too early, but that's not to dismiss the rest of the album which also has its moments.

In terms of a comparison point, there are a lot of tracks that bring to mind King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, with tracks like the aforementioned 'Fabienk' bringing Battles to mind. While it's easy to see why the band have had such an upsurge in popularity of late, the Quebecois duo have created something that's pretty solid without being spectacularly so. Maybe it's too short, maybe not varied enough, but it's definitely fun.

7/10