The World As It Is
In all honesty, that an album like “The Great Depression” needs to be made in this day and age, is utterly dumb-founding. The stigma of anxiety/depression is not a new invention; people have been locked up and treated abhorrently for centuries. The weeping and wailing of the mentally ill has been mocked and side-lined; it is a torment they face alone. The fact that we have not yet progressed from our troglodyte cousins; Lord love a duck! We live in turbulent times. We still need to be reminded of who we are, intrinsically, on the most basic level, we are the same.
Here come As It Is with the sledgehammer to smack us all around the head. Twelve songs that bulldoze their way in and hijack your heart, your mind, your very soul. What is apparent here is the progression, growth, and the courage and the capacity to instigate a resurgence and a hunger to galvanise the populace.
I am loving the MCR Helena vibes, Patty you look fabulous!
Opening with the title track, there is a distinctive thumping primal drumbeat which is synonymous with the primitive attitudes that prevail today. It is a crying shame. Patty Walters has a stunning voice – I love it when they can change the tempo effortlessly, well to the listener it is effortless. It flows beautifully from song to song, through highs, lows and in betweens. It is a clever way of attracting and maintaining the attention of the audience.
“The Wounded World” is next with the band pointing the accusing finger at us all with the line
“Jet black hearts and abandoned souls. We’re all to blame for the wounded world.”
Now, you can either run away and hide under your duvet or you can grasp this golden opportunity that has fallen into your lap and make a change for the better.
This is a call to arms. Our lives have been damaged enough.
“The Fire, The Dark” has a fantastic melody, really engaging and entertaining. Again, we hear that thudding drumbeat that is relentless against my ears.
“Show me luck, show me fate, show me any escape”
It is a chilling indictment to our modern society.
I love songs that start slow then build up – you know its going to kick you in the backside any second. This is the brilliant “The Stigma (Boys Don’t Cry), it is contemporary, vital, and an absolute firecracker. These guys don’t miss a trick, it is the finger on the pulse album, addressing all points germane without fear, and with a whole lot of passion and dedication.
“Its better not to say such things out loud” is the pressure cooker lyric for me- bubbling away gently, then suddenly BOOM!
It is bold, anthemic and a real humdinger!
You can sense the urgency, bordering on violence, in the vocals and in the music, it shows the frustration we all feel. However, there is a tenderness that is heartening- it is the arm around the shoulder we all need. We are halfway through with “The Question, The Answer”, slower in pace but exuding the same incisive tone and evocative spirit.
“The Reaper” features Aaron Gillespie, adding another dimension to the already multi-layered and take no prisoners onslaught this record brings, a dogged determination to get the message across.
I find “The Two Tongues (Screaming Salvation) introspective and intelligent, with an imperativeness that is unbridled. It begs a response. There is a duality, a complexity, an intricacy, and an intimacy. It’s that constant pounding in your head, it’s the knock on the door you don’t want to answer. This song is the perfect vehicle to carry this trauma.
“Life is agony, but worth it all the same”.
You’ve got me lads; I have no argument with what you have created here. It is a scathing attack on humanity; we deserve to be told.
“I swear this time I meant to keep in touch”. Sound familiar? We get in touch when its too late. This is featured in “The Truth I’ll Never Tell”, where we learn that some people may find it hard to talk; we need to act quickly, with kindness and compassion.
“The Haunting” is an instantly enjoyable tune, great melody and craftily designed to touch every single nerve.
“When evil sinks its poison teeth, there’s no relief.” Never has a truer word been spoken.
We continue with “The Hurt, The Hope” in the same vein- weaving tales of disenchantment, anger, hopelessness, loneliness and all other such negative feelings, This is a provocative and a challenging record, it is damning in its honesty, and brutal in its execution. This is the state of the world in 2018; the so-called “developed” nations should be ashamed of themselves.
“It’s got to get better” pleads Patty. I’m right there with you, my brother.
We close with “The End”, such an apt title with the defeatist lyric
“Nobody’s listening, straining our lungs to be heard”
It is an appropriate and fitting conclusion to a record that has tested us all. This may not be the cure for all ills; but it is the soundtrack to which we can rebuild what we have destroyed. We can reach out, we can be heard, we can overcome.
In fact, I’d like to reference a song called “Closer to the Heart” by Rush, I think you’ll see the opening lines offer the same sentiment.
“And the men who hold high places
must be the ones to start
to mold a new reality
closer to the heart.”
Let this be a lesson- we need to be sharing more than just a dial tone.
As It Is – The Great Depression out on 10th August on Fearless Records.