Secret Machines - Secret Machines
Much has changed in the world of Secret Machines since 2006’s ‘Ten Silver Drops’. Guitarist / singer Ben Curtis has departed to form School Of Seven Bells leaving brother Brandon to take on the singing duties fulltime and Phil Karnats has been recruited to fill in on guitar.
I’m happy to report that these changes do not seem to have fundamentally changed the sound or ethos of the band. Muscular riffs and powerful drumming still underpin some sharp, progressive songwriting and a greater repertoire of electronic sounds appears to have been added.
The album opens with a Nine Inch Nails-esque industrial drum and synth groove courtesy of ‘Atomic Heels’ which then descends in to a classic Secret Machines styled track in ‘Last Believer, Drop Dead’ with a driving rhythm section and understated vocal giving a real sense of tension a menace. Karnats’ guitar slots in perfectly and Ben is hardly missed as the track builds to a massive hook chorus.
'Underneath The Concrete’ is probably the track most reminiscent of their high water moments on ‘Now Here Is Nowhere’ and again drives along with a huge momentum and expertly executed hook and chant-a-long feel. ‘The Walls Are Starting To Crack’ and ‘I never Thought To Ask’ are both slower burning moments that throb with low end bass synth noises and exude emotions in the more desperate end of the spectrum.
The band still indulge themselves in progish space rock moments, ’Have I Run Out’ and closer ‘The Fire Is Waiting’ for example, but these are always saved from over-pomposity by the quality of the result. ‘The Fire Is Waiting’ especially is the sound of a band cutting loose and painting soundscapes with their broadest brushes. A grand masterpiece to close the album with.
They’ll probably never hit the youthful heights of ‘Now Here Is Nowhere’ again, but this album is a maturation on ‘Ten Silver Drops’ and sees a band at ease with where they are going and the noise they are making, and it is indeed a good noise.
Top Tracks: 'Underneath The Concrete', ‘Last Believer, Drop Dead’.
Released January 26th on Worlds Fair