Thursday, March 23, 2006

Album Of The Year? Open, says me.

Statues - The Open [Loog Records]

Imagine, if you will, that you have released 2004's standout Indie Rock debut, a critically acclaimed, emotional masterpiece that had everything the commercial market needed coupled with invention and a dedication to be different that must surely mark you out, as Marlon Brando said in 'On The Waterfront' as 'a contender'. The Open did that with their oppulent 'The Silent Hours' album, a brooding triumph of a record if ever there was one. Then remember that the full Brando quote is 'I coulda been a contender' and then feel sad in the fact that this also applies to the Open. It was all 'coulda-beens' and 'shouda-beens.' Lead single, 'Close My Eyes' stalled just short of the Top 40 and since then its all been close calls for a group who missed the sales success their work deserves, whilst Cock Party and The Kaiser Shits (yes, both amausing names I made up myself) go on to glory and hit record recognition The Open stagnate and disappear...
So how would you react? Give up on the biz and everything you've aspired to after the whole 'will-we-get-signed-won't-we-get-signed' rigmoral, playing to half empty venues full of people who don't give a fuck... after suffering all that do you give up because your underapprciated masterpiece chalks up sales in single figures??? Or do you think 'fuck Top Of The Pops' and release a Jazz-influenced, middle-finger-salute-to-the-haircut-brigade-stormer of a sopohmore record that even you first pales next too? Guess which route The Open chose??
Straight from album opener 'Forever' a seven minute long epic comprising lost in the wilderness vocals, swirling atmospherics and howling saxophone, the listener knows they are onto something different. That this leads into a rousing three minute indie dancefloor mini anthem in 'We Can Never Say Goodbye' which pogos along at speed, engrossing, bewitching and uplifting despite its love at the end of the line lyrics. The stark opposition of these two tracks when contratsted with each other best sums up the ethos of Statues - its varied, idiosyncracies never allow the listener to become bored, always demanding attention and wonder with what will follow next.
That's not to say the group have completely abandoned every aspect of their sound, this is still recognisable a follow up to 'The Silent Hours', the scale of War-era U2 (you know, when they weren't COMPLETELY insufferable, just PRETTY insufferable), the etheral spaciness of Cocteau Twins and 'Spirit Of Eden' era Talk Talk still offer a welcome antidote to the Talking Heads/Wire/Gang Of Four fixation that the groups peers have, but newly instilled is a sense of spontaneity, a willingness to take their own ability to a higher level and to offer an artistic challenge to the concept of what the band are.
So, in short, a mesmerising triumph, a challenging, yet accessible record that probably won't get the group any new fans but will assure those who have already fell for this groups charms that they really are that far ahead of the rest of the crowd....

Score - 9/10 Excellent

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