Oh I love them. I really, really love them. The 3 years they spent making this album made me consider loving them less, but then I listened to it, and now I love them more.
I chatted to Hugo White, guitarist of the band, earlier this year. White spoke of the difficulty of creating a record in a band like theirs, with a real democracy in music-making. It’s the disagreements of song-writing that lead the band to create such enigmatic music – something Hugo White says wouldn’t happen if it was all smooth sailing. Don’t be mistaken that this time away has been one big holiday for the Maccabees – White says it’s been all spent in the studio, and after such a long time with Hugo producing the album himself, he says he didn’t even want to play it to people he knows. With the desire to move on from a long and tough construction, the release date came at midnight welcoming July 30th, and thank goodness it did.
In the interview, Hugo spoke of delving into a landscapey and dreamy world with this album, and as the band started to write bits of music on computers to piece together later, the band stopped themselves and went back to their roots, together in one room at their Elephant and Castle studio. It’s so evident, that this raw, authentic and dreamlike way of creating their music is what they, and the new record, is all about.
Title track ‘Marks To Prove It’ is the most similar track of the record to those of their previous albums. The fast to slow, ever-changing tempo is very Maccabees-esque. It’s probably not a coincidence that this was the first single released – it catches the attention of fans of the previous fast-pace albums, but also marks a new wave for the band. The guitar hook is delicious, and the clashy, tinny feel is a perfect juxtaposition to Orlando’s velvety vocal.
I was lucky enough to see them live in the wake of their comeback on May 1st, and they were unbelievable. Anyone who was near me around May time probably heard about how bloody great I thought they were. They played a few of their new tracks as well as their classics, and ‘Something Like Happiness’ was my favourite of the lot. To me, it’s a warm and self-encompassing anthem of advice for anyone who’s seen, experienced or lost love.
‘Kamakura’ is a spectacular song on the album, and one of my favourites without a doubt. Along with ‘Ribbon Road’, the choruses are so beautifully constructed, and it’s so easy to imagine singing along to songs like these at a festival (or alone in your room – either works.) It’s in the spindly bits of Orlando’s vocal that speak volumes; in the quiet bits of the songs where the guitar dwindles off or the drums take their time in the light, his voice is uncovered and then totally opens up in the choruses of the tracks.
‘Silence’ is one of the most beautiful songs on the record, and my favourite – a heartbreaking ode to not being stubborn. Hugo White takes the lead vocal on this track, and it’s really cool to hear a mix up in roles like this, because it’s not often done. It’s the synchronised melodic pairing of piano and vocal that create such an emotional track.
The only song I’m not so hot on is ‘Spit It Out’. However I’m a bit romantic with my songs – I like pretty melodies and flowery keys, and I think this song is purposefully a little bit sharp and spiny in its creation, with the help of piano and a haunting vocal. A difference in this record is some female intervention – found in ‘Dawn Chorus’ and the end of ‘Kamakura’.
The whole album is thematic, but not in any such way that any song is samey. Every song has its own sharp individuality, while still creating this dreamy and lucid feel. One characteristic that I always find in Maccabees songs that I always completely fall for, is a subtle or not-so-subtle build, mostly found just after the second chorus.
In comparison to past albums, it feels like the band have found themselves on more comfortable ground, and not in a cop-out way at all. This is a more confident record – the songs are less rushed and not afraid to just be what they are. They take their time, the lyrics are beautifully and spikily honest, and every track is settled and constructed with real thought.
Honestly, I can’t stop listening.
