The Liverpool outfit returned last autumn with the triumphant EP ‘A Full Syringe and Memories of You’. On Friday 11th March they followed up on this with their first studio album in twenty-four years. Could they follow the critical acclaim of the EP?
You can buy the new album here.
Themes of catharsis and awakening run throughout the album. Album opener ‘I’ve Had Enough I’m Out’ and former EP track ‘A Full Syringe and Memories of You’ pull no punches as frontman Sice tackles the hypocrisy of the Catholic church. The former humbly strolls through the fog with gentle acoustic guitars before springing to life as a slower-paced Motown stomp. Being present is at the heart of this former single. The here and now override the secular totalitarian need for eternity.
‘A Full Syringe and Memories of You’, similar in theme, tackle the difficulties that come with the sanctity of life on what is, a truly remarkable piece of songwriting. As they explore the rejection of Catholic teachings, a clarion call is born. A never give up spirit oozes the great chord changes and, as they build layers and mental fog descends, a guttural fuck you emerge. It is though, through Sice’s angelic vocals the spectacular lay. They shine through the mire, which, during this grave era of war, act as a tangible sense of hope.
Many albums, when they strike this level of confessional discord fade when the angst fades. Here, their angst passes for sun-kissed melodies and inspirational lyrics.
‘Keep On With Falling’ extracts the wisdom to carry on when most would fold under the weight of collapse:
“When you fall, it will follow, it will shine, it will bite,
And you'll see all the windows that have closed up on your life”
Sice’s vocals hit their angelic nineties peak without missing a beat. No more prevalent than on the delicious layers of backing vocals. So good are his pop instincts here that, Ian Brodie and will be pirouetting with glee. Not content with being a great indie jangle, the trio introduces elements of Electronic ‘s ‘Some Distant Memory’ and more notably, Nile Rodgers’ guitars. The Chic solos chime with the synths like sunshine on still water, so simple, so pure, and yet so far out of reach of most bands. Not since the Style Council has something English sounded this sun-kissed and funked up!
The album’s recalcitrant spirit culminates in the album closer ‘Alone Together’. Dripped in Orbital and Krtaftwerk sequences, the Boo’s lush melodies soar alongside a tale of school popularity fading into despair.
The melodies they tap into, no matter the discourse, are so infectious they could make Graham Nash blush. ‘All Along’ swirls with the panache of The Hollies and the illicit freedom of the DMA’s. Whereas, ‘I Say A Lot Of Things’ touches upon the romantic orchestration of Richard Hawley’s ‘Lady’s Bridge’ and the pop bombast of ‘C’mon Kids’. Unconstrained by the past, they reimagine their archetypal brass sonic alongside great drum patterns and enrichingly humble lyrics.
If the album had just been the aforementioned set of great pop songs alongside the mental triumph of the human spirit, it would have been a fine comeback. However, ‘Call Your Name’ makes it the perfect one. Channelling The Byrds via Tame Impala, they’ve conjured pure majesty! Trippy but angelic, it feels like Marr and Rodgers have taken the beauty of Thirteen Senses and South for a forlorn but life-affirming stroll.
Without Martin Carr in the fold, the new lineup could have easily folded under the pressure of delivering a new Radleys album. Carr has been an exceptional solo artist after all. Nevertheless, Sice and co have paid tribute to all that they once were and pushed the band forwards with remarkable results.
*Images courtesy of https://twitter.com/wordsandstories
The band will be on tour in April. Click the Image for tickets:
