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Enter_Shikari-The_Spark-(PIASR99OCDX)-CD-FLAC-2017-FREGON
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Artist .........: Enter Shikari
Title ..........: The Spark
Genre ..........: Rock
Style ..........: Alternative Rock, Synth-pop, Electro, Post-Hardcore
Label ..........: Play It Again Sam
Language .......: English
Year ...........: 2017
Catalog Number .: PIASR99OCDX
Street Date ....: 09.22.2017
Release Date ...: 01.12.2018
Source .........: CDDA
Encoder ........: FLAC 1.3.1
Grabber ........: EAC
Quality ........: 842 kbps / 44100 Hz / Stereo
Size ...........: 260.93 MB
Tracks .........: 11
Url: https://www.entershikari.com/
T R A C K L I S T
01.The Spark 00:51
02.The Sights 03:20
03.Live Outside 03:40
04.Take My Country Back 03:43
05.Airfield 04:53
06.Rabble Rouser 04:25
07.Shinrin-yoku 04:16
08.Undercover Agents 04:30
09.The Revolt of the Atoms 04:45
10.An Ode To Lost Jigsaw Pieces (In Two Movements) 05:58
11.The Embers 00:51
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41:12
R E L E A S E N O T E S
Several things will always ring true about Enter Shikari and their latest album does
nothing to change that. You canÆt accuse the band of standing still, the extent to
which theyÆve evolved since their neon debut Take to the Skies is impressive.
However, the jump in style from that album to Common Dreads was significant enough
that a significant amount of their fans felt alienated. The jump from previous album
The Mindsweep to this, The Spark, is just as significant.
The other thing is that Enter Shikari seldom look to their own lives for inspiration,
thematically. It would be unfair in the extreme to call their records impersonal, but
theyÆd rather sing about global warming and corporate greed than they would about
their latest doomed relationship. It feels like thereÆs only Enter Shikari and Kate
Tempest tackling these issues at the moment. The difference is that Tempest brings
those issues down to the individual stories whereas Rou (frontman) tackles them on a
much broader level.
Now, despite that obsession with not standing still and (arguably because of) their
predication to tackling major issues, Enter Shikari have become a proper arena band.
ItÆs a significant achievement and a tribute to how much they resonate with an
increasingly dedicated fanbase. Their next tour sees them take on arenas once again
and itÆs hard to shake the feeling that the shift in style on this album is a direct
response to the new venues facing the band.
I wouldnÆt like to get into whether that was knowingly done or if this is just the
natural progression for the band. For starters, this album is beautiful, for the most
part, so the entire thing is moot. Take æAirfieldÆ, for example, it displays the band
at their most gentle, engaging in inspiration without ever resorting to cliches. The
lyrics ôItÆs common for people to believe, everything happens for a reason, IÆm sorry
but thatÆs false and itÆs poisonö is just one example of how they attempt to shirk
conventional wisdom. ItÆs refrain of ôYouÆre down on your luck, but that donÆt mean
youÆre outö on repeat works but in reality, itÆs a lyric like ôwhen the winds
against, remember this insight, thatÆs the optimum conditions for birds to take
flightö that really sticks.
Not that the shift is all about making their themes work in an arena. æShinrin-YokuÆ
is like nothing theyÆve ever done before, with rolling percussion, trumpets and
sweeping strings that would lend themselves to soundtracking a film. WeÆve heard
spoken-word-Rou before, notably on æConstellationsÆ, but here he channels Mike
Skinner more than ever before. æUndercover AgentsÆ is similar and itÆs a style that,
given how distinctive Rou is vocally, suits the band more than most. ItÆs true that
æThe SightsÆ and æLive OutsideÆ, which open the album, arenÆt their most exciting
work, but they fit in with what Enter Shikari are trying to achieve here.
æRabble RouserÆ feels like the most traditional Enter Shikari track. It has lots of
rapping-Rou, lots of guitar and plenty of isolated instrument parts. Like a lot of
their tracks from previous records, it feels like enough ideas for three different
songs spliced into one. It sticks out a little, though, and itÆs probably the album
wouldÆve flowed better without it. Either that, or with the inclusion of Big Narstie
collaboration Superchage, with which it feels like a more natural fit.
Still, the biggest surprise is the track that closes The Spark. æAn Ode To Lost
Jigsaw PiecesÆ sees Rou introspective and appearing to tackle the issue of personal
loss. ItÆs strange to hear, to the point that when you hear the lyric ôI miss your
prosecco-glazed lipsö you actually do a double take and play it back. He also talks
about being scared of facing the world and fear putting him in a headlock. The shift
in sound for Enter Shikari makes this record feel like a huge leap forward, but itÆs
on this track that they travel furthest. About halfway through, it feels like itÆs
reached a conclusion, but more strings sweep it through. It breaks to lines like
ôIÆve lost more pieces of my jigsawö and itÆs clear how out of his comfort zone he is
that this section opens with ôI may regret these words someday...ö
The result is a brilliant, imperfect record that affects you in ways Enter Shikari
never have before and subverts what the entire band is all about. Anything else from
them would be ridiculous.
FREGON <3 Enter Shikari
Enjoy =>