Enter Shikari - The Spark

We're loyal to music, us Brits are. Especially to our homegrown bands and artists. I think that we have a sense of responsibility to support bands that are born here, all the way from them playing to Jolly John and his dog at the local pub to having entire arenas chanting their songs back to them. Without doubt, for my generation at least, Enter Shikari are one of those bands. From the moment "Sorry You're Not A Winner" was released 10 years ago (which makes me feel so old), the entire scene latched onto them and their ethic, their sound. Their sheer uniqueness. And we've been hanging on for years. On September 22nd 2017, they released The Spark, their fifth album, and it's quite possibly their most ambitious release to date.

The first thing you'll notice about this album is their musical approach. It's isn't as aggressive as their previous efforts. They still flaunt their electronic influence, and they still wave their political and humanitarian flag, forever unafraid to talk about the things that others shy away from. But, as far as the music is concerned, this is a different affair. It's a lot more accessible. Songs like "Airfield" and "Shinrin-yoku" really put the spotlight on a more relaxed and chilled out version of the band. They're jam packed full of soft tones and gently swaying melodies, both dynamically swelling into thick hook laden cadences. "Take My Country Back" and "The Sights" are more familiar, giving us their usual package of big guitars, catchy vocals and their signature electronic twists in a brighter, smoother wrapping than we've seen before. Single "Rabble Rouser" is brilliant, drawing influence from a variety of genres like grime and dubstep whilst expertly blending it with the guitar driven attack we've come to know and love. Other single "Live Outside" is a feel-good bouncy number, smothered with hooks and an unforgettable chorus. The stand out track though, for me, is album closer "An Ode To Lost Jigsaw Pieces", a masterclass in dynamics and how to build suspense. The instrumentation and how it's used is spine tingling, especially the string section which actually brought a bit of emotion out in me. And that's usually the sign of a good record, right? If it can make you feel something. And I certainly did.

I think this record is great. It's intelligent, it's catchy and memorable, but most importantly it shows their skills as musicians. You can't pigeonhole them to one particular sound anymore, because they've just ventured out of it and released a record that is very different, yet still unmistakably sounds like an Enter Shikari record. They throw all the same punches you'd expect from them, they're just delivered from angles you don't expect. It may take you a few listens to fully get into, but this record deserves your time. Check out this album.

D.S

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Foo Fighters - Concrete and Gold

I'm not sure that the Foo Fighters know how to make bad music. It just isn't in their bones. I mean sure, there are songs in their back catalogue that stand out more than others, but nothing springs to mind that's a bad track or an experiment gone wrong. They just continuously write hit after hit. It's actually kind of annoying, from a musicians point of view, that they're able to be so consistent. I love them, but also at the same time hold a burning rage and hatred towards their talent and ability. From what I heard running up to the albums release, Concrete and Gold appears to be following their well established formula. The two singles "Run" and "The Sky Is A Neighbourhood" clearly showcase that they haven't lost their edge, both boasting soaring choruses and catchy hooks. "Run" is a pure rock anthem, bound to get a crowd sweaty and running in circles. "The Sky Is A Neighbourhood" boasts a more relaxed bluesy feel, yet still explodes into rock tinged tones throughout, Dave Grohl smothering his trademark gravelly vocals all over the tasteful chords and licks. Both songs are very different, but showcase that the Foo's still have a lot of tricks up their sleeve. And boy, are there some nice tricks on this album.

They haven't done anything particularly revolutionary with this album. But be honest, do they need to? They're known for writing consistent bangers, album after album. You know the saying. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And it's evident on Concrete and Gold that everything is very much intact. "La Dee Da" is a rock rollercoaster, speeding through a variety of different paces, melodies and overall feels. It reminded me of a Songs Of The Deaf era Queens Of The Stone Age, the overall tone and production of the track sounding very similar. "Arrows" is an anthem, the chords in the chorus providing a sonic wall of sound behind Grohl's unmistakable pipes. Dynamically it's very well executed, the pre-chorus expertly building suspense for the eruption of power that follows it. "Sunday Rain" has a very Beatles like feel to it, probably aided by the fact that it features the legendary Sir Paul McCartney on drums. Almost acting like a bluesy lullaby, it gently sways along, massaging your ear drums and providing a nice change of gear from the rest of the album. "Make It Right" is classic Foo Fighters with a twist. Big bluesy licks, all weaved together into a hard hitting wrecking ball. Taylor Hawkins drum playing is a highlight of this track, littering ghost notes all over the shop and really flaunting his prowess behind the kit. The album truly contains a little bit of everything that we know and love about the Foo Fighters, all rolled into noticeably individual packages. A musical multipack of Walkers, with every packet boasting a different flavour. I didn't mean to write a crisp metaphor, I'm just very hungry whilst writing this. I digress. This album packs punch, it packs variety, and it translates into a very good album. A very good album indeed.

If you've been missing your Foo Fighters fix, nothing being able to quench your thirst since 2014's Sonic Highways, this album will completely feed your addiction. Everything we've come to know and love about them is present on this album. If you listen to this album and can't picture the songs sounding absolutely enormous when performed live, you're either listening to the wrong album or you're deaf. I imagine if you're deaf you wouldn't even buy the album at all, so you must be listening to something else. Make sure you're listening to this album. And then you'll realise that yes, songs off this album are without doubt going to become arena anthems. Another corker of an album in the bag for the modern day rock legends.

D.S

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