HELLFIRE

I feel like I like the idea of Black Midi much more than I actually like their music. There's something utterly brilliant about a band starting off as the height of trend and fashion as a total trojan horse for becoming a completely unashamed prog rock group. The modern music discourse has such an impulsive opposition to prog that it's so funny to see them attempt to backflip and cope on this one after BM revealed themselves to be closer to the second coming of King Crimson, but only after all the indie cred publications had decided they were hip and happening.

This is partly good, partly raw style-over-substance, and partly just a bit too much for me. Like this whole neo-brexit post-punk scene, there's a stench of music school contrivance to everything, in that it does feel a bit like an assignment to make a manic art-prog album rather than a genuine attempt, but the fact is that there are so many good musicians on this that no amount of contrivance can stop some great ideas from flowing through. The album is at its best when the dynamics are flowing - the folk and country influences, the softer parts, even the Cardiacs- esque art pop chord progressions. The manic side is often just a bit too egregious and the over-use of dissonance can be tiring. This is certainly their most bonkers album, so there's a lot of that, but I also think it's their most compositionally mature - there are genuinely great melodies here for arguably the first time in their short career.

I hope these guys do continue on this path, as it's fucking funny to be a part of, but I also hope that the stars align and they can drop a genuinely well put-together record. Until then, I'll enjoy the nuggets of quality.

6.4 (3rd listen)

Part of my listening diary from my facebook blog: www.facebook.com/TheExoskeletalJunction

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