In some way, British Sea Power have always managed to deliver the goods, and Machineries of Joy is no exception, with new things revealing themselves with every listen - at once reliable and familiar, yet fresh and rewarding.
The measured and oddly comforting Machineries of Joy, finds the bookish, self-mythologizing, and willfully nostalgic yet remarkably buoyant indie rockers doing what they do best: being British Sea Power
Their sound is unique, and the Brighton band have been crafting glacial indie that beautifully belies their reputation as owl-collecting kooks for a decade. Their sixth full-length will delight the fans they’ve accrued.
The BSP discography is starting to resemble a How-To Guide for young bands striving to make a career out of music without compromising artistically.
What it is is a touching, ambitious and inventive album, and one which stands head and shoulders above most.
It is an album that takes a few listens before really making an impact and, for the most part, the wait is justified.
BSP struggles to find a middle ground between its jarring, frantic melees and aloof lullabies.
Though there are certainly more misses than hits on Machineries of Joy, its not for lack of trying, and those hits soar.
Machineries of Joy is an improvement on its predecessor but far from a dramatic leap forward.
If you like the idea of grandiose, yet compact rock songs filled with arcane literary and historical references, you’ll appreciate its mere existence. If not, Machineries of Joy isn’t going to do much to change your mind.
Sea Power return to the coastal sound seen on previous albums, but unfortunately it doesn’t pay off that well. The great implementation of brass and strings is great, but the focus on them means a lot of the main instrumental is left unfocused upon, leaving some tracks feeling quite plain. The opening track is really good but from the second track onwards a lot of tracks have a vocal distortion effect which doesn’t sound all that great. The drums are really nice as always at least. ... read more
1 | Machineries of Joy 6:17 | |
2 | K Hole 3:24 | |
3 | Hail Holy Queen 3:19 | |
4 | Loving Animals 5:09 | |
5 | What You Need the Most 5:40 | |
6 | Monsters of Sunderland 3:10 | |
7 | Spring Has Sprung 3:53 | |
8 | Radio Goddard 3:18 | |
9 | A Light Above Descending 4:10 | |
10 | When a Warm Wind Blows Through the Grass 4:38 |
#33 | / | The Quietus |