‘Be my excavator, tell me what you find’.
It is with bated breath that the whole world awaits the new album from Enter Shikari, a band that are always amiable, accessible, fan- friendly (says she who was lurking outside their tour bus in minus temperatures before lockdown hoping to catch of a glimpse of these heroes- and yes, I did meet them!) and have an attitude that is unmatched in the industry. They are a veritable tonic in these trying times, and for me the title track is a triumphant introduction into this next chapter in their story. I sense a healing, the kiss being a symbol of affection and protection, to start over as we have seen too much sadness.
The epitome of the spirit of adventure, these lads are unafraid, they are happy to test perilous waters, happy to indulge in various genres and avenues of music to produce an exceptional, well-rounded body of work. The exquisite harmonies in the outro of ‘Please Set Me On Fire’ are sleek, set to easy to listen to and comprehend tones and beats.
It takes 1.18 minutes to ‘Feed Your Søul’ zapping lasers into your being, hitting the target spot on, the avant-garde approach is irresistible and enticing, always on the front foot, always cutting edge. They are the Overton window of music and its many facets and perceptions, guiding a varied and robust discourse.
Using our natural world as the vehicle they discuss ideas and arguments that we have wrestled with over the last few years. Are we being deceived? Have we been duped? Living inside a ‘Goldfish’ bowl’ with no control over how your life turns out, at the mercy of your protector, Enter Shikari are masters of painting a picture that mirrors our confusion, they have the opinions and animation of an anfractuous mind, detailed and winding. Provocatively set to the life of that most intriguing of cephalopods the ‘Giant Pacific Octopus’ a colour-changing creature, that manifests however the situation develops. We too have to alter our thought process depending on what is happening, and with so much going on our brains have literally been ‘stir-fried’. With a cheeky reminder of our time at ‘The Dreamers Hotel’ we say three cheers for Enter Shikari, and I don’t say this very often but this album you can file under unfuckwithable.
Azra Pathan
Enter Shikari – A Kiss For The Whole World out 21st April