Review | Rock group Marmozets’ new album is a riotous and rowdy triumph
Plus, recent releases from Scottish indie darlings Franz Ferdinand and Simple Minds
Knowing What You Know Now
(Roadrunner)
4/5 stars
In a world of instant gratification and widespread attention deficit disorder, leaving a three-year gap between a debut album and it’s follow up is a risky proposition. Having graced festival main stages on the back of spiky The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets, the band’s rise to stardom was interrupted as singer Becca Macintyre recovered from a crippling knee injury, and with a gaggle of next big things lurking around every corner, the West Yorkshire quintet were in danger of seeing their limelight burn out all too soon.
The Marmozets announce their return with nosebleed riffs that remind us why they created such a stir back in 2014. Rousing lead single Play hints at a tighter focus with the band maintaining their brash attitude and knack for a punchy chorus, while Habits possesses a pummelling riff of the kind Matt Bellamy used to shred when Muse were still exciting. Produced by Gil Norton (who has worked with the Pixies, Foo Fighters and Echo & the Bunnymen), this sinister beast of an album is intense from start to finish, Macintyre unleashing her ferocious howls to wonderful effect.
Always Ascending
(Domino)
