Know Loss, Know Struggle, Know Defeat, Find Deaf Havana.
Firstly, I need to admit that I am approaching this album with an unashamed bias. I’m partial to a bit of Deaf Havana (and not of the guilty pleasure variety, you understand), since the days of Howard, You Crack Me Up (great title eh?), Friends Like These, Mildred, Boston Square and more recently Trigger. Having read about their trials and tribulations in the past I’ve always had a soft spot for these guys.
The lead single from new album” Rituals” is ” Sinner”. It’s a great little song, catchy chorus, with a gospel feel towards the end. I was gambolling like a spring lamb around the living room, my heart overcome with joy. It’s a song to sing out loud and proud. The video provides a great storyline to complement the song.
This album is spiritually enriching and emotionally uplifting, life looks a lot better now. What I really like though is the one-word song titles throughout. Although Midnight Shadows Crawl To Darken Counsel With Life (see Cradle of Filth) is a damn good read too. James Veck – Gilodi talks about his demons, his struggles, something that is a contemporary issue and relevant to society today. I hope he has vanquished them and emerged triumphant because these songs contain a power and a vitality that would banish any demon back from whence they came.
It is not so much a religious theme; more a story about struggle, the day to day graft, soldiering on and eventually overcoming our obstacles. This album is conscientious, relative and adequately fills the cracks we have in our lives. I think these songs needed to be written. As a writer I can empathise with James, there are a million and one thoughts/ideas clattering around inside me and I need to find an outlet, writing is suitably cathartic and engaging.
“Ritual” is up next, it’s got a fantastic chorus; vibrant and upbeat, and it shows the path this album is taking. The idea is again one that we can understand, the lyric
“Lately this is nothing more than a ritual between me and you, so I’m letting you go”to me highlights a crucial part in a relationship, that to retain any sort of humanity we need to let go, or we just continue in a torturous and unforgiving manner. This is a perfect soundtrack to life today, such beautiful melodies, and harmonies, enhanced by the soulful voices belonging to the London Contemporary Voices Choir.
“Hell “is possibly when you realise that you must now find the courage to take the first step in leaving. Not an easy ask by a long chalk. It is great how the band have rallied round to support these songs and have embraced them with a conviction and a resilience that will lift us all.
With “Fear” you have another great melody that bounces along, and you bounce along with it, hand in hand. I love the keyboards on these songs, truly heaven sent, and hell bent on emerging glorious and victorious from the wreckage that we call life. We are, after all, in the same hell, just battling different demons. This album is fearless and a smack in the chops for those whose belief in these lads had wavered.
Another fabulous lyric “I think I might have killed you” from” Pure” followed swiftly by “devastated, wasted, trying to contain it”. Just solid gold, it has a rawness, a distinct sharpness that peeks out from behind this stunning symphony.
I will not apologise for loving Deaf Havana. So there.
“Evil” slows things down a little but doesn’t lose any of the strength or power. Maybe slower songs are needed to encourage further exploration of lyrics and music.
“If this is heaven, hell comes from within” is a line that for me defines that which we hide, and those things we fight constantly. The song it is from is called “Heaven” and it has a clapping section that exhilarates and carries the song incredibly well. The arrangement of these songs is genius, time and again they have hit the nail on the head.
Take a bow boys!
Here you will also find a “take your hat off” moment to “All These Countless Nights”. An enchanting and heartwarming sentiment – I was not expecting this at all.
“Worship” has the gem of an opening line with “Are you drinking tonight?” and the acceptance that
“Everything’s a mess when I’m around you”. It’s a passion killer, a deal breaker, but maybe that’s what is need in these extremely trying times. A nod back to “Ritual” with the words
“A ritual between me and you” emphasises that we have to break the chains, there is no point in struggling for something that is not possible to achieve. The piano driven “Saint” is again slower in pace but does not let the side down. “I wish I could be a saint like my mother”
It is harmonious; and gently kisses the eardrums as I sway and swoon towards the end of this record. I am not a musician nor am I musically gifted, but I do understand how music can affect people. This is indeed an epiphany, an awakening, a judgment, and a reckoning, lets be open, accepting and compassionate. “I want to begin again” closes the album. We can all learn from this. Those of a religious persuasion can recite after me “For what we are about to receive may the Lord make us truly thankful. Amen”. For the rest of us, just be bloody thankful. I’ll drink to that.