Sisters of Mercy

The Best Records of 2016 – Part 1

Posted on by edwardlayland

If there is one dead cert in the world of music writing, it’s the end of year list – the golden opportunity to wax lyrical about all the uber cool shit we’ve been listening to through the year that we totally believe every other fucker should also be listening to. I’m just as guilty as the next pensmith; I mean, I’ve already done two – one for Already Heard ( http://alreadyheard.com/post/154430616852/record-of-the-year-2016-staff-lists), another exclusively on thrash metal albums, although in fairness it was a retrospective article analyzing the genre with a top 5 attached (https://hardpresseded.wordpress.com/2016/12/07/thrashback-best-of-2016/)

But lets face it, here in the blogosphere it’s basically a totally subjective list and isn’t really worth shit, unlike the top ten we came up with at AH (http://alreadyheard.com/post/154422480446/already-heards-record-of-the-year-2016) which involves several contributors. So, the final list is a kind of representation of the site’s view of the world of alternative rock, and therefore a pretty useful piece of retrospection. Anyway, my top ten is there, along with the site’s top ten, but I have to say that probably wouldn’t be a definitive list, nor would another one that I might write tomorrow. So what’s the point?

However, there is surely some value in celebrating some of the seriously cool records that have had an impact on me this year. It doesn’t need to be a top ten. They don’t need ranking. It’s enough to say that this is cool as fuck and you could do a lot worse than give it a whirl, you might discover something you love – it’s what Spotify is for, for fuck’s sake. So, here come a bunch of records I’ve been listening to pretty solidly this year and intend to keep spinning well into the future.

David Bowie – ‘Blackstar’ I was deeply moved by the death of David Bowie and wrote about it at length here:https://hardpresseded.wordpress.com/2016/01/12/303/ Listening to Blackstar is inextricably linked to the loss of this musical giant and was always going to be an emotional experience, but having gone back to it again and again since its release, I have to say that it really is quality and holds up well. ‘Lazarus’ is undeniably superb and the artistic merit of the record as a whole is unquestionable. Great record – excellent way to punctuate such an incredible cultural footprint.

I only got round to listening to Michael Kiwanuka – ‘Love & Hate’ a couple of weeks ago, but have had it on very heavy rotation ever since. Damn, what a great, honest record this is. Michael lays bare his conflicting emotions on this sublime collection that neatly combines a kinda classic seventies soul groove with a more contemporary feel and some achingly good guitar work. The title track is unbeatable.

Lisa Hannigan – ‘At Swim’ Great songs, cool vibe, lovely voice, excellent record – I keep going back for more.

Lonely the Brave – Things Will Matter is a good solid sophomore record from the Cambridgeshire boys and continues their climb up industry ladders. There are some quite spectacular moments, like the massive ‘Black Mire’, the excellent ‘Diamond Days’ and ‘Jaws of Hell’ that hint at a very bright future for British alternative rock.

Slowcoaches – ‘Nothing Gives’ came out about a week ago and I had the immense pleasure of five outta fiving it for Already Heard. The most exciting garage punk record in years, it has an energy comparable with The Strokes debut and rocks from beginning to end as it tackles issues like loss and anxiety. Heather Perkins is punk rock personified, making their brand of angry optimism instantly relatable – this band deserve to be massive.

The Cult – ‘Hidden City’ There’s nothing like your favourite band hitting good form again. Ok, it’s not ‘Love’ or ‘Sonic Temple’, but it’s creatively vibrant, still pushing boundaries and features some killer tracks. Ian Astbury‘s raw vocal on ‘Birds of Paradise’ and the killer hook of ‘No Love Lost’ find The Cult at the top of their game.

Another return to form from an eighties icon came on The Mission – Another Fall From Grace. Wayne Hussey took a conscious decision to dust off his twelve string and write an album bridging the gap between Sisters of Mercy and The Mission. According to the front man it was a painfully cathartic experience, but the vocalist can be justifiably proud of his band’s finest record since their peak. Sure, it’s as overblown and pretentious as you might expect, but Mish fans wouldn’t have it any other way. The title track is prime example of Wayne’s songwriting prowess and ‘Tyranny of Secrets’ shows they can still deliver a good old Goth rock banger.

Black Foxxes – ‘I’m Not Well’ is quite simply one of the best records I’ve heard in years. It’s rawness imbues it with power, energy and emotion at a level few bands come close to. Stone cold killer from beginning to end – album of the year by far.

The Mission – Another Fall From Grace Review

Posted on by edwardlayland

the-mission_another-fall-from-grace_front_cover_onlyIt was a brave step by Wayne Hussey to set out to make an album that sounds like 1985, yet it is one that by and large he manages to pull off. ‘Another Fall From Grace’ plays like an echo, an echo of former glories when The Mission were riding on the cusp of a wave towards being the UK’s biggest alternative rock band, or an echo of days gone by, when making epically dramatic tunes was de rigueur in the realm of Goth.

Tentative drum beats signal the opening of title track, ‘Another Fall From Grace’, but it soon takes shape around a rumbling bass line as layers of jangly 12 string guitars weave a tapestry of wonderfully bombastic Goth drama reminiscent of Tower of Strength’. Hussey sounds a little older and wiser, but there’s still a powerful richness to his voice and this deeply layered epic is surely one of the finest tunes this band has ever produced.

They seem to have rediscovered their signature sound and on ‘Met-Amor-Phosis’, featuring Ville Valo, it effortlessly translates into the type of song that would’ve bothered the top twenty back in the day. ‘Blood On The Road’ is in a similar vein, but despite being rockier, it is actually a little lacklustre and doesn’t quite nail it.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of moments when they do totally nail it, whether it’s the brooding drama of the atmospheric ‘Within The Deepest Darkness (Fearful)’, featuring excellent vocal contributions from Martin Gore and Gary Numan, or the instantly likeable ‘Can’t See The Ocean For The Rain’; a quality, largely acoustic number with a wistful air.

However, it’s on ‘Tyranny of Secrets’ that they are firing on all cylinders; there’s a distinct Sisters of Mercy feel to the driving electronica of the opening, but it’s got everything else that we know and love about the Mission besides a surprising element of vitriol to the vocal; great tune.

In fact, this opens a section of the album that is pure class, as the wonderfully overblown ‘Never’s Longer Than Forever’ and the intricate intensity of ‘Bullets and Bayonets’ follow stylishly before the spoken word reflections of ‘Valaam’. This segues neatly into my favourite moment of the album, the emotionally charged ‘Jade’ with its signature guitar lines and a haunting piano melody typically reflective of glories past. The song meanders along in darkly atmospheric fashion until Simon Hinkler finally lets rip with a soaring solo, before an emotional finale where Wayne gives it both barrels. This is the Mission at their finest, talk about recapturing whatever it was that once made them great.

Despite being firmly rooted in the past, it is interesting that on closing track ‘Phantom Pain’, another dark 7 minutes, there are some skittering saxophone touches to add a little extra depth. It is a cool touch and offers a hint that this creative well is far from running dry.

All in all, ‘Another Fall From Grace’ is a deeply satisfying record full of great touches, including a number of subtle backing vocals from long term collaborator Julianne Regan; long time Mission fans will surely be overjoyed that they have managed to recapture the essence of what it was that we fell in love with all those years ago, whilst also looking forwards. Sure, at 12 tracks and over an hour long there’s probably one too many pedestrian paced sweeping epics making it a little OTT, but I’m sure Wayne wouldn’t have it any other way, especially when it is such a strong album both musically and vocally.

9/10

Get the bombastic new album right here: https://the-mission.tmstor.es/