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Archived Reviews
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Covenant fans rejoice, the lads are back with their latest & much-delayed, new album, which offers a timely reminder as to why they've become so well-loved. Few bands have managed to combine an accessable (even commercial at times) sound with such inventive use of sound & that, in my book, is the mark of true musical genius, a genius that is stamped all over this album, right from the short abstract opening that heralds the anthemic vocodered refrain of "Ritual Noise"; setting the scene for the hard, insistent rhythms to really kick proceedings off in a fine manner with a track that has surely become a much-loved fave already. And that's just for starters as, while the electroclash stylings of "Pulse" resemble Goldfrapp to a startling degree it is another string in their bow. Additionally I expect that the simple, almost playful backing of "Happy Man" might well split fans in the same way that "Invisible & Silent" did on Northern Lights & while it make take a few listens to get used to, the melancolic mood isn't without merit, aided in no small part by Eskil Simonsen's vocals which, throughout the album, have never sounded better. This is just as important during the excellent "Brave New World", which marries hard infectious beats to a more thoughtful melodic refrain to great effect as well as the almost triumphant "The Men" which really brings the album to life & "20 HZ" where the mundane title seems to be at odds with the evocative music until you read the sleevenotes. In fact, the only (relative) downers are the overly repetitive "Sweet & Salty" & "Spindrift" which are too repetitive with too little going on to really impress, despite the spooky female voice effects of the latter track & the melodic endings that grace them both. However, such small setbacks are soon forgotten once the classy closer "The World Is Getting Loud" works its magic as smooth & lush yet ever so slightly offbeat strings (that remind me of early OMD, incidentally) sit atop stately laidback rhythms for a real chillout end to the disc, again proving my point about sounding both accessable & inventive. There's also a second disc, running to 51 minutes which boasts the 40-odd minute yawnathon "Subterfuge For 3 Absynths", a totally self-indulgent sequencer mess-about that sounds as if they were pissed on the alcohol of nearly the same name at the time, a poppy remix of "Ritual Noise" & a newie entitled "Relief" that's not bad but which smacks of 'shall we put it on? oh fuck it, might as well' to me!
This, however, does nothing to change the fact that Covenant are back & in top form & their UK tour can now not come a minute too soon. One last point, though, is it just me or does the inner sleeve photo make Clas Nachmanson look like a dead ringer for KD Lang????? |
