I've taken my eyes off recent releases on here over the last couple of weeks on here. There hasn't been much new that's grabbed my attention of late, surely nothing to do with the lockdown scenario we find oureslves in I imagine. Merely that nothing has come out that has particulkarly grabbed my attention. Possibly with the exception of the new Strokes record, which I did write about when it came out a couple of weeks ago.
I almost gave up on For Their Love, the new album from Oklahama's Other Lives, which came out last Friday. The first couple of tracks did little for me. Reminded me too much, and not in a good way, of The National and Radiohead without the accompanying inspiration, with a front vocal on top that brought to mind Alex Turner, not personally my favourite sound of recent years, good as that band, and that man, are.
On third track Cops though, the record begins to kick in and gather momentum. The reminders of others are there still and Arcade Fire also raise their heads at points, but the songs get better and the band begin to carve out an greater identity and space for themselves, which they maintain to the end of the album.
Fourth track, All Eyes - For Their Love, is better than that, and is probably one of the best things I've heard this year. Setting off with a rather beautiful orchestral sweep that reminded me of Tindersticks particular knack for these kind of things. Then when it changes direction as the vocals come in it goes to another plateau altogether. Baroque, melancholy and quite serene and really rather beautiful.
The record maintains this pace from this point on without really achieving similar peaks. It's by no means a classic. But it is worth a listen and there are probably a few tracks here which you'll want to take away and return to later.
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