Feeder
Tallulah

Feeder are experiencing a second youthful phase in their artistic journey.

With their last two works (“All Bright Electric” from 2016 and the “Best Of” from two years ago, which included nine new tracks), they have re-entered the British charts, and they have also attracted a younger live audience (as noted by their leader Grant Nicholas).

An absolutely remarkable path, considering that many bands that burst onto the scene in the late nineties/early 2000s disappeared into a black hole of mediocrity and low popularity. However, this was not the case for the Welsh duo, as with this new work titled “Tallulah” (12 tracks co-produced by Nicholas along with his loyal collaborator Tim Roe), their winning streak continues splendidly, and indeed, we are witnessing yet another step forward compared to the already excellent last two studio efforts.

Nicholas mentioned an album less focused on overproduction, more tied to the traditional guitar/bass/drums framework; he also described the new songs as “classic Feeder”, meaning they are less about searching for new sounds and more anchored to the identity of a band now considered iconic in the British alt-rock scene.

The result is a beautiful album, crafted by an artist in truly excellent form; each track tells a story, and every second of this new work is of exceptional quality. The three singles already hinted at a triumph: “Fear Of Flying” is a clear example of the band's skill in combining the abrasiveness of American alternative rock (this time there’s a strong whiff of early Foo Fighters) with the typical British taste for well-crafted melodies. “Youth”, which also opens the album, is a high-speed bullet that would have fit perfectly on the wonderful “Yesterday Went Too Soon”; perfect for listening to at full volume on a deserted, sun-drenched road. “Daily Habit” brings together Pavement and The Vines, leading them toward a quintessentially Feeder-style chorus.

And that's not all, of course: they also revisit the taste for those anthemic ballads which brought Feeder to fame in the early 2000s. One of these is “Blue Sky Blue”, which will be the next single and was written by Nicholas for Liam Gallagher's second solo album; it didn't make it onto the album only due to timing issues. It’s, as one can imagine, a ballad that recalls the rockier Oasis of “Be Here Now”, though with a much more robust and full-bodied guitar sound.

“Rodeo” follows closely, with a more minimal arrangement, while the title track recalls the best of early Coldplay but with a clearly more baroque and epic feel. “Guillotine” and the last release “Kite” captivate by tapping into a youthful love of the Welsh duo, namely the Smashing Pumpkins from “Mellon Collie...”; these are two pop-rock numbers of the highest quality, from a great band.

However, not everything is calm and soothing: “Kyoto” is a violent turning point for the album, where Nicholas unveils a very assertive and varied riffing style, bordering on nu-metal. “Windmill” is a full and paced ballad, while “Lonely Hollow Days” wraps up with guitar and vocals, revisiting the frontman's solo love for fingerpicking.

Another great album, then, for Feeder, always at ease among the “old greats” of modern British rock.

Best track: Guillotine