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The Feeder reach the remarkable milestone of their ninth studio album with this "All Bright Electric", an ideal follow-up to the excellent "Generation Freakshow" from 2012.
In the meantime, frontman and songwriter Grant Nicholas has embarked on a successful and fruitful solo career with his debut album, "Yorktown Heights", and the subsequent mini-album "Black Clouds". This experience has heavily influenced the songwriting of the new tracks destined for the mother band, as Nicholas himself has stated.
The new work immediately opens with the two singles that preceded it, among the few tracks on the record to offer a significant hook with the more classic Feeder, albeit in different ways: while "Universe Of Life" builds a bridge between the extreme simplicity of "Renegades" and the pumpkins-esque grunge of their debut "Polythene", using a massive and granite riff that immediately sticks in your head, "Eskimo" is one of the rare diversions towards the more accommodating pop rock of Feeder's mid-career.
From here on, the album takes a less accessible and more tortuous path, let's say more attentive to the substance and solidity of the structure of the individual pieces, and less to the search for the perfect chorus. There is almost no trace left of the extreme catchiness of the previous "Generation Freakshow", instead more complex and layered textures are sought, as in the astounding "Infrared-Ultraviolet", the absolute highlight of the work.
Few are the concessions to the anthemic ballad style of "Feeling A Moment", perhaps limited to the only "Another Day On Earth", which are favored over bursts of sparkling post-grunge, as in the case of "Geezer", "Divide The Minority" (very Amplifier), "Holy Water" or "Hundred Liars". "Paperweight" is straightforward punk rock, almost a sequel to "In Your Honesty" from the previous album. "The Impossible" is full of those melodic ups and downs so dear to Nicholas, "Oh Mary" (already presented live in an acoustic version) is a very dark number very close to the frontman's solo experience.
The two bonus closing tracks, "Slint" and "Eyes To The Sky" (the former more aggressive, the latter more reflective), are good pieces but slightly disconnected from the rest of the discourse (perhaps that's why they weren't included in the standard version of the album).
The three Welshmen, ultimately, continue to release albums worthy of their by now well-established reputation as veteran band of the Anglo-Saxon music scene. Hoping they continue like this, since each time it is a great joy for the ear drums.
Best track: Infrared-Ultraviolet
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