You know, let’s do something different. I mean, if there’s a band that know how to rock the boat it’s The Wildhearts and their prolific frontman Ginger. So why not try to emulate them with a review that’s a bit off-kilter? So here we go with a “reaction” review, based on a single first playthrough. No chance for the songs to grow. This is about impact.
We’re off to a great start with “Eventually”. At over six minutes it manages to cram in so many different tones and feelings. Short, sharp rhythms; distorted screamed vocals which I wasn’t too keen on when they first kicked in, but as the track progressed they felt better placed; a great rousing chorus; wonderful twinkly keys; some trippy little segues. The band are claiming that Satanic Rites is a spiritual successor to Earth Vs and, honestly, I’m getting that already.
“Scared of Glass” does little to change this, a great rock and roll intro that leads into a nice, punky number. Ginger has one of the most distinctive voices on the rock scene and it’s used to great effect on here, along with some great “woah-woah” sounds from the rest of the Wildhearts crew. This is a bouncy number that’s destined to be in the live set. I hope!
“Troubador Moon” was released as a single recently and I’ve shoved it down the bottom for you to have a watch / listen. A bit discordant at first, it settles down quite quickly and turns into another singalong classic. I can see why they went for this one to push the album.
“Fire In The Cheap Seats” is the first track I’m not too keen on, at least on this first listen. It’s a bit disjointed, especially near the beginning, though this may be deliberate given the refrain “There’s a fire in my brain”. If it’s meant to get across the chaos of a broken mind, then… yeah. I get it.
I’m pretty sure “Kunce” is just a sneaky way to get a rude word onto the album without Spotify noticing. I can see the t-shirts now! This is an obvious protest song railing against various people who piss Ginger off and I’m fine with that. A definite punky highlight on the album if a little shortlived at three minutes!
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The distorted vocals are back for the harsh “Maintain Radio Silence”, but again it moves into a more melodic style now and again. This is a driving, pounding song, but not one that’s grabbing me on the first listen. The lyrics are good, though!
Now “Blue Moon Over Brinkburn” is more like it! Sounding rather autobiographical, it’s uplifting, positive, fast-paced and fairly rattles off the inside of your head. A couple of little stabs in amongst the lyrics add to it, and the chorus is very singalong. I’m not too keen on the odd solo in the middle, but overall this is a winner.
“Hurt People Hurt People” is a definite winner. Right from the off, this stands out as different from every other song. It’s gentle, it has a message, it’s heartfelt and I fucking love this song. Ginger, if you read this, I am literally (in the proper use of the word) crying listening to this song, likely as it’s hitting me right in the feels due to where I am mentally right now. And remember this is a first listen. You have a classic here.
You know what’s been missing so far? Saxophone. Thankfully “I’ll Be Your Monster” rectifies with a track that adds that touch of Madness (capital letter deliberate) to proceedings. It’s a stomping little number and I have a feeling it will grow on me.
Wrapping things up is the lengthy “Failure Is The Mother Of Success”, and it’s a good one to end on. A definite whole-band effort, it’s similar to the opening number in that it seems to hark back as much as forward.
That’s a first listen. As I’ve noted, there are a couple of tracks that I think will grow on me and a couple which are absolute Wildhearts classics already. There’s no such thing as a Wildhearts album with filler, there never has been, and Satanic Rites continues this impressive sweep. With the usual variety and catchy riffs, there are at least a couple of tracks on here for everyone.
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The Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts is out on February 28th – Pre-order / pre save link
Header image by Shaun Hulme
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