The Maccabees: 'No Kind Words'
What has happened to the Maccabees? Have they been listening to too much Morrissey? Or possibly immersing themselves within the same gloomy influences that have helped catapult White Lies to chart success, during their absence since debut LP ‘Colour It In’ was released?
Well whatever influence has caused such a mood swing encapsulated by ‘No Kind Words’, musically as a band they have benefited.
From the minute the first 2 bars of percussion kicks in in all their measured glory its obvious that ‘No Kind Words’ is not what we are used to hearing from this 5 piece from London.
Front man Orlando Weeks’ deliberately melancholic vocal over the top of a simplistic yet repetitive bassline and subtly building guitars takes on a whole new life, showing us a darker introspective side to his former self. The obvious Nick Cave comparisons aside his monotonous tone and reflective subtext lyrically explores a maturity to a band that were once much more upbeat and idealistically shallow.
"If you’ve got no kind words to say, you should say nothing more at all” repeats an ominous Weeks over a brooding yet beautifully created soundtrack. Isn’t that what our mothers have been saying forever? Time to take heed.
The album ‘Wall of Arms’ is out imminently, but in the meantime this will do nicely.
9/10
Words: Francesca Strange
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