If you’d of told me 5 years ago that I would’ve heard a bunch of new music artists whose output would dictate my musical listening pleasure I would have laughed in your face.
If I was then to say to you, that half a dozen or so of these artists would entwine themselves within the very fabric of my favourite artists and stand shoulder to shoulder with them and be revered and loved just as much, you’d think I’d lost the plot (easy to understand).
But here we are.
Moonlight Parade in around 6 years have written, recorded, released 4 albums an EP, a collection of remixes, a compilation album, as well as creating the art for their art, gigged and built up a loyal group who wait with bated breathe for the next release, all this whilst holding down day jobs and family life. In short it’s nothing shy of miraculous.
In these Strange Times they have been a comforting presence to me and many others.
Thus, album 4 it is….
Starting with the album title track, we are off to an excellent start, it’s an understated anthem that big stadium acts only dream of writing. Building slowly until boom Steve’s guitars crash in raising the roof, whilst Ben’s brilliant as always lyrics weave their way through the song. It’s surely a song about what we have all been through in recent years and where the world now is.
Peace of Mind a prior single, is classic (yes they now have that description) Moonlight Parade, a distinctive sound that uses the influences of what came before to make something uniquely Moonlight.
As we travel through the album you have a real sense of a bigger sound than ever before, the addition of Simon on drums and Luke on piano (more of that later) with extra vocals from Jane Frances is a masterstroke and fills out the songs more than ever. Production from Al is big and beefy with mastering from legendary Nick Brine makes every song reach its true potential. This is no twee indie album.
In fact I’m not sure I’ve heard an album that can sound so anthemic but heartfelt since the much missed Doves music, who combine that fragility with grandiose music. It’s an outstanding achievement.
The album really sees the band pushing their own limits and expanding their music world, within the album there are several standouts which deserve specific mention.
Incomplete is a song that maybe only comes along every so often, it catches you instantly with a piano (riff) that the likes of Tears for Fears or Talk Talk used to great success in the 80s. It’s a marvel of catchy brilliance.
Themes of the past, for me is one of my favourite songs with shared credits from Ben, Al and Steve. Ben’s lyrics and vocals painting pictures in your mind as he reminisces on childhood including Haribo and Live Aid.
Give it up, is a total surprise not just because it sound like late era Joy Division or early New Order, it’s because Al sings it. He totally nails it.
The B side of the album (or later tracks if streaming) sees the experimental or more dreamlike side of the band come to the fore, The Wolf is wonderful, again Jane adding sublime vocals to the mix.
What’s So Clear with this 4th album is it’s a band on the top of their game, knowing how they want to sound and have the musical talent to pull it off.
Tracks like Rolling and Dreamer are the type of alternative rock that few can equal and many should learn from.
Penultimate song Better Days maybe shows a glimpse of where the Moonlights are going to go next.
It’s like a hip hop track mixed with Talking Heads, funky n groovy and cool as can be. It’s already had a masterful remix from the mysterious Space Kid and rightly so.
We finish with Limits, a song singing about not having any limits and flying into the future with some hope. In these Strange Days it’s a great way to end the album.
And to come full circle back to my comments at the start of this review, with this release the band have cemented themselves within my greatest listening pleasures, alongside The Roses, Love, Weller, Shack, The Smith’s, the Velvets etc, exactly where they deserve to be.
The album is out now to stream and purchase via the band’s own website and released on their own label Stash Recordings….go get…
https://www.moonlightparade.com/
PNL
Michael
The Rebirth Of Cool 