Feeder
Generation Freakshow

When a band reaches their eighth album in their career, it's never by chance. And certainly, Feeder is no longer a surprise. With patience, determination, and above all, a lot of talent, almost all concentrated in frontman Grant Nicholas (perhaps one of the most underrated songwriters of the last fifteen years), they are carving out a comfortable space among the most enduring bands in the British artistic scene.

But what surprises even more is another aspect: this eighth studio work, released almost a month late compared to the initial schedule and baptized "Generation Freakshow" (maybe not a brilliant title, but undoubtedly apt, given the times we are living in), is their best effort ever if you exclude an perhaps unrepeatable masterpiece like the dramatically underrated "Comfort In Sound".

The new album, which initially was designed as a "Renegades" (previous studio work from 2010) "part two," gradually evolved into an independent and autonomous work from the previous studio release. And speaking of "Renegades," by listening to "Generation Freakshow," one even more deeply understands the meaning and function of a basic, aggressive, "dirty and mean" album like that: a sort of "blood cleansing," a way to go for a clean slate with blows of that alternative rock that has always been the background of the Welsh band. "Silent Cry," an album released in 2008, was indeed an excellent record, but when it came to merging the melodic-melancholic attitude of the dyad "Comfort In Sound" / "Pushing The Senses," there was then the need to decide which direction to go in; the choice of Nicholas and Taka Hirose (bassist) was to proceed with a sort of "reset," churning out the hardest record of their over-decade-long career.

But don't get me wrong: the new work is not a semi-acoustic or slow album, quite the opposite. It is indeed a more "commercial" and eclectic album (in Nicholas's own words), but made of solid and compact rock, if you exclude a couple of episodes: the soft ballad "Quiet," which nevertheless aligns with the best parts of the work, and the new single "Children Of The Sun," anthemic and melancholic tear-jerker that stands on the same ground as old battle horses like "Feeling A Moment" and "Yesterday Went Too Soon," numbers in which Nicholas is an absolute master.

For the rest, guitars are given ample space, starting with the superb opener "Oh My," a sort of college rock à la Weezer cleverly "stained" by keyboards and drum loops, and based on an alternation of "calm/storm/calm" characteristically grunge. It is followed by "Borders," a typical perfect single à la Feeder (already well known by fans, as the band anticipated it live already at some dates a year ago) and the masterful "Idaho," Nirvana-like at the beginning but then enriched by a chorus worthy of the best Brit-rock tradition. "Hey Johnny" is a welcome shift towards slightly gloomy atmospheres, the guitar becomes vaguely threatening before exploding and "relaxing" in the refrain, certainly more lively but not too much; a darker moment but one that fits greatly within the album. Once past the aforementioned "Quiet," the double "Sunrise" / title track raises the tones: the first again plays on the contrast between composed verse/aggressive chorus, but this time the vocal melody and the tempo are constant, and the track flows along with a perfectly apt call and response refrain that will guarantee assured success during the band's imminent live shows (not to be missed). With the second, however, one travels riding Pumpkins-like fascinations (the initial "grinding" is heavily indebted to "Zero," as well as the old and beautiful "Helium"). "Tiny Minds," another track that anticipated the album's release, seems to come straight from a Pixies album, and the contrast between Grant's relaxed singing and the granitic guitars of the chorus makes it yet another anthem in the career of the Welsh duo.

The final part of the album sees an acceleration in BPM with the duo "In All Honesty" (perhaps the most radio-friendly track on the album, a punk rock with flirtatious choruses that would have fit very well in the old "Yesterday Went Too Soon") / "Headstrong" (garage rock that the Hives would love), before closing on the vaguely folk suggestions of "Fools Can't Sleep" (the only track on the album that requires a few more listens to be properly appreciated) and the already dissected "Children Of The Sun."

Feeder just can't make bad albums, this is now established. This time, however, they have truly surpassed themselves: now all that's left is to enjoy them live.

Key tracks: "Idaho," "Sunrise," "Generation Freakshow," "Tiny Minds"