"Everybody’s youth is a dream, a form of chemical madness”, wrote the good Francis Scott Fitzgerald in his famous "Tales of the Jazz Age". Many years and even more kilometers away, a handful of young men, no longer beardless but not yet fully-fledged men, would channel that chemical imbalance into something that, both in intention and in reality, aimed to be a revolution. Like the well-known American writer, they too would find profound inspiration in jazz. No longer the swinging, danceable big band style, but rather the oblique, bewildering form of Ornette Coleman. There would be nothing unusual about this, except that we are talking about a band that until that moment had played pure and simple hardcore punk.
Reckoning with what, at least in the realm of ideals and clichés, should be the most carefree and enjoyable age of life, is always done when all that remains is its memory. "The Shape of Punk to Come", despite the insurrectionist anthems shouted at the top of their lungs, did not change the world. However, it helped to reshape the ears of many who in that distant 1998, but clearly also in the years that followed, took on the challenge of an album so difficult to categorize and assimilate. Turning an expressive form often regarded as little more than an adolescent itch into "A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts” (as described on the cover) was not a task for everyone. But damn if the Refused succeeded brilliantly. The rest was a disastrous tour in the United States that led to the band's breakup and the start of a series of new projects, which did not even remotely shake their reference environment like that unrepeatable outburst of talent and creativity. Until 2012.
Reunions often bring with them the suspicion of a need to cash in and/or a refusal to surrender to a natural ending. However, anyone who had the chance to see the Swedish combo in action on stage after nearly fifteen years of hiatus would find it hard to deny how the transition from "thirty-somethings" to "forty-somethings" had not in the slightest scratched the boundless verve of that great frontman that is Dennis Lyxzén. Even drummer David Sandström appeared to have renewed energy and awareness of his capabilities. Returning to the studio to pick up the conversation from where it was left off seemed like the natural continuation. However, Jon Brännström didn’t see it that way; he said his goodbyes to everyone and went on his way. With the first summer heat of 2015 came "Freedom".
In shaping what is their latest work to date, the band opted (wisely in my opinion) for more immediate tracks than those of its illustrious predecessor. Not that all the nuances can be grasped at first listen, also due to a well-crafted production, fresh and in step with the times, by Nick Launay (take a look at how many and which albums he has worked on) and the local Shellback (a great professional, but the names he usually produces, well...). They immediately aim to smash bones with the explosive crescendo of "Elektra”, screams and bright guitars supported by an engaging rhythmic architecture. What are likely the two most significant changes compared to their previous way of working become evident with "Old Friends/New War”: a systematic resort to the virtually endless possibilities of sound manipulation offered by electronics and the introduction of easy-to-grasp melodic lines. Choices that, needless to say, made many frown.
Even when navigating waters well known to longtime admirers, there is always at least one element that breaks with the past. The almost funky "War on the Palaces” and the anticolonialist anthem "Françafrique”, where even a children's choir makes an appearance, feature an arrangement based on brass. "Dawkins Christ” relies on the same impact as the band’s old warhorses, renewing it, however, with an interesting play of voices. "Useless European”, whose message is darned current, starts as a subdued ballad and then resolves into the usual fury. The lyrics, as always, play a central role, but they have transitioned from the rebellious and utopian tones of the early period to a more bitter and aware reflection. At least the 17 years since the previous release have not been in vain.
As far as I can remember, rarely has music criticism shown itself to be so myopic in delighting in its own pomposity, often attacking the band gratuitously and mean-heartedly. Now, whether or not one likes an album is obviously a subjective matter. But how can we justify everyone fixating on the mispronunciation of "Françafrique”, while entirely ignoring the recurring "Exterminate all the brutes!” around which the piece revolves, which carries with it a whole series of references from Joseph Conrad to Iggy Pop, and "Apocalypse Now", if not by being utterly foolish? It is precisely the case to say it: excuse the French. Someone even went so far as to launch a personal attack, accusing Lyxzén and company of insincerity and completely misconstruing the "Nothing is changed!” of "Elektra”, whose text certainly isn’t about the band. Others dismissed the return as something entirely unnecessary. Well, I’m sorry for these gentlemen, but in its own way, every album out there is unnecessary. Does one perhaps listen to music on medical prescription? It’s doubly amusing when said by someone who got paid to write such nonsense, and for whom the existence of "Freedom” has indeed served a purpose.
Framing it in terms of maturation might be improper, as "The Shape of Punk to Come" was already an incredibly mature and accomplished work, albeit driven by that pinch of recklessness which, in a sense, was one of its greatest merits. In fact, it represents a new course for the band from Umeå, which found itself observing the layout of a world that since their disbandment, has undergone radical and profound changes. After all, with "Refused Are Fucking Dead”, they must have meant something, right?
Tracklist
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