After ten years, Death From Above 1979, have finally released a new record embellishing their fans, anticipating this perhaps a few years back when they reformed for Coachella Festival in California in 2011. With punk-dance stylings that saw them have a degree of acclaimed success in the 2004, many have been patiently awaiting this album for the last decade, including myself, fans now revelling in the recently announced tour and The Physical World.
Having split in 2005, multi-instrumentalist Jesse Keeler and Sebastien Grainger, vocalist and drummer, have reaffirmed their old music, lending a nod to their style back in the noughties, but also producing and recording this new album. Thrashing guitars, intrusive drums and outcries under the guise of vocals all culminate this album, with the typical Death From Above grace.
This new album does not feel like it has been ten years since the release of You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine; it feels like an inevitable and speedy sequel. ‘Crystal Ball’ has the stamina and danceability factor to chronologically follow on from the 2004 success, as does the single ‘Trainwreck 1979’, which has an electro-pop synth running consistently throughout to make it an accessible track, and perhaps a wider reaching album than their previous album. In fact, going from The Physical World, listening back to YAWIAM, it is almost impossible to tell which track is from which album alluding at least to their consistency, as a Canadian electro-punk dancing band.
Notable for their spats with DFA’s James Murphy the duo have created more distorted bass, whilst not actually blowing us away with this album. Tracks such as ‘Trainwreck 1979′ and ‘Government Trash’ are certainly likely to linger in your head long after the album has finished but aside from that, there is nothing significantly astounding about The Physical World. There are however some signs of progress from those days before their split, with a more consistent electronic auditory, and a more serious take on the album to their previous days.
All in all, this album may be better packaged with the first, as they continue to record short, quick tempo tracks as well as incorporating deceptively similar sleeve artwork. There is little evidence of ten years having past, despite the title tracks, and fans’ impatience for the upcoming tour; The Physical World will be caressed by their loyal fans but will not have the outstanding impact that album that took ten years to record should. If Keeler and Grainger continue to produce work like this every ten years, time-warped with a need to boogie they will see their fans.
[Rating:3]
Released on 9th September by Warner Bros./Last Gang Records, The Physical World can be purchased here
