MAXIMO PARK
Our Earthly Pleasures
Warp
· Proper followup to their frantic debut A Certain Trigger sees the Newcastle band return to the studio after extensive touring with, among others, The Rolling Stones.
As part of the latest wave of bands that owe a massive debt to the First National Bank of Post Punk, Maximo Park achieved greater success than many of their peers by coupling the frantic push-pull of their debut with a more sophisticated appreciation of songwriting. And while the undoubted gem in their first offing, "Apply Some Pressure," sounded straight out of 1982, the rest of the album contained less torrid moments that offered some intriguing possibilities.
These are the moments that the group has expanded on with Our Earthly Pleasures. Under the direction of producer Gil Norton (Foo Fighters, Pixies), the band has cleaned up its sound a tad, bringing the piano/keyboard to the fore on many tracks, toning down the jerkiness of the songs, and adding considerable dynamics to its sound. The problem, however, is that it comes off as a halfway step toward whatever it is they are moving towards – a destination that is definitely up for debate. Is it the revisiting and update of Wings-esque micro-epics as demonstrated on "Parisian Skies?" The utterly unique new wave/grunge/Britpop mash of "Our Velocity?" Or the REM-meets-The-Smiths that is "Books From Boxes?" A couple of months from now I will likely consider this album a work of either sheer genius or utter crap. There’s a certain sterile quality to Our Earthly Pleasures that takes a considerable effort to get beyond. Those seeking instant gratification be warned.
NOW 3/5
TWO MONTHS FROM NOW (ASK ME THEN) 1/5 or 5/5
DEREK McEWEN
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