Newcastle upon Tyne`s Maxïmo Park return this month with their eight album `Stream of Life`
Lead singer Paul Smith shared that “We’ve always tried to document the world around us at each stage of our lives while subtly nudging the music forward each time – this record continues that mission.”
We are introduced to this new release with `Your Own Worst Enemy’ where the band have shared that It’s about that horrible feeling where you suddenly realise you’ve made a familiar error, and also the lies we tell each other on a daily basis to avoid confrontation or turmoil.” It kind of sways along with a chorus that`s heading towards the anthemic. We have a thumping churning rock out in `Favourite Songs` which seems to recognise hitting a certain age but wallowing in nostalgic songs from your adolescence which eases the pain.
`Dormant ‘Til Explosion` opens with a brief spoken word intro from Vanessa Briscoe Hay, an American singer for the Athens, Georgia bands Pylon, Supercluster and Pylon Reenactment Society who also alternatives vocals with Paul and gives the track a kind of B52`s vibe. A wonderfully uplifting energetic and exuberant listen. We hit on “positive aspects of finding a soul mate – about faith, solidarity and sustaining relationships in the face of society’s structural hurdles” with `The End Can Be As Good As The Start` a rhythmic quite introspective submission.
`Armchair View` has a recurring finger picked guitar chord riff that underpins this reflective tender slow burn with some understated but interesting irregular drum tones and almost melancholic synth keys towards the end. The mid paced `Quiz Show Clue` has a sort of retro guitar style initially which becomes more jangly laterally which allows thoughtful life observations shared atop and throughout.
Title track `Stream Of Life` has a delightful melodic dreamy contemplativeness about it with lyrics that demonstrate that what you seek and possibly obtain may well be a double-edged sword upon accomplishment. There`s some illusory lyrical content throughout the meditative `Doppelgänger Eyes`.
`I Knew That You’d Say That` has a kind of philosophical slant shared over an irregular musical backbeat while `The Path I Chose` is a number about decision making and motors along with a rolling retro rock texture with a throbbing pulsing drumbeat guiding us along.
The album closes out with `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.
The trio of Paul Smith (vocals), Duncan Lloyd (guitar), and Tom English (drums) have returned once again with an album that will have you reflecting and contemplating it`s lyrical content long after the album has finished. There was a sense of maturity about this release, maybe reaching at certain age forces us all to appraise our lives and possible mortality. The melodic musical accompaniment ensures the album isn`t lecturing or preachy which I find works so much better.
If you`re looking for the meaning of life, give `Stream of Life` a blast and you may get a steer in the right direction.
Rating 8.5/10
