Maxïmo Park arrive in Birmingham midway through a twenty plus date of the UK and Europe, which will keep them on the road until the middle of next month. It`s just over three years since their last visit to the city and there aren’t many tickets left for this show, or indeed for any of the dates on this tour. The band released their latest album `Stream of Life` last month which was again full of appealing melodic tunes with lyrics that challenge your grey matter.
This five-piece band who include the permanent members vocalist Paul Smith, guitarist Duncan Lloyd and drummer Tom English and touring additions of Jemma Freese on keyboards and backing vocals along with Andrew Lowther on bass head straight into `Your Own Worst Enemy` from the latest release and they couldn`t have picked a better thumping anthemic number to open with.
It`s back to the debut album `a Certain Trigger` for `Postcard of a Painting` before `Dormant Til Explosion` where the spoken word intro from Vanessa Briscoe Hay, an American singer from Athens, Georgia is spliced in. A number which is as energetic and exuberant as it is on the latest album.
There`s a heady mix of old and new with the ruminating `Questing, Not Coasting`, rhythmic `The End Can Be as Good as the Start`, tender slow burn of `Armchair View`, the racing `National Health`, thoughtful `Quiz Show Clue` and `Partly Of My Own Making` my favourite track from the `Nature Always Wins` album.
Amongst the tracks from the home stretch are the title track of the latest release the contemplative `Stream of Life`, nostalgic `Favourite Songs` before they close the show with the jagged and amusing `Apply Some Pressure`.
The quintet are encouraged to return and do so to share `No Such Thing as a Society` a more personal reflective musing on society and communities that have survived despite continued political interference, a song of resistance against the odds, and `Nosebleed` before Paul Smith dedicates the final number `Graffiti` to all the romantics in the audience.
Every time I get to see Maxïmo Park, I find that what I love most about the ninety minutes spent in their company is that there`s no fancy gimmicks just good old fashioned well written songs which have a point to make which they do shared across some of the catchiest energetic alternative indie rock around.
This tour is almost completely sold out but if you are lucky enough to have a ticket or can obtain one, you`re in for a treat.
