[8/10]
It’s official, The Maccabees have returned. Having mentioned that they were working on the follow up to 2012’s Given To The Wild, the indie-rockers have dropped their first track taken from their long-awaited fourth album. ‘Marks To Prove It’ echoes the band’s earlier sounds, with plucky guitars opening the track, before kicking into a ferocious instrumental section. Orlando Weeks’s delicate sounding vocals capture the band’s usual tone, whereas fast paced guitars and rhythmic drums help with a sense of building throughout, whilst a sturdy bassline keeps the track stable. The single sees the band ease down in light sections before enthusiastically attacking the end of the track, demonstrating the band’s usual musical unity as well as their ability to keep the listener guessing. With melodic vocals and a variety of sounds all within 4:15, The Maccabees’ spark certainly hasn’t been lost. The track is all a bit of a blur, pulling you in only to quickly whirl you out, which is possibly a sly trick to make you re-listen, over and over again. Either way it’s addictive. Perhaps more experimental than past tracks with areas that appear like well-executed jams, layering the track with diverse riffs and harmonies, the band still manage to maintain their infamous, soft but energetic sound, no doubt leaving beloved followers mind’s at ease after their three years of absence.
A band that have been the influence for so many upcoming indie-bands, The Maccabees are well and truly back to prove exactly why they continue to be a musical inspiration.
The track due for release on May 11th is accompanied by a run of intimate tour dates, that will see the band in a live setting before they take to the festival circuit.
The Maccabees will play:
The Institute, Birmingham (11/5)
ABC, Glasgow (12/5)
The Ritz, Manchester (13/5)
Coronet, London (14/5)
