When Reuben split up in 2008, it’s no exaggeration to say that a chunk of the UK’s alternative music scene was left devastated. On a personal level they were, alongside the likes of Biffy Clyro, Hell is for Heroes, Mclusky, Million Dead and Oceansize, fundamental to me becoming a genuine music fan instead of some NME-worshipping scenester.
Being a Reuben fan was to be part of a real community, which goes some way to explaining the overjoyed reactions that greeted the news that the band’s frontman and songwriter, Jamie Lenman, had returned to musical action with ‘Muscle Memory’.
A double album, divided somewhat predictably along lines of heaviness, ‘Muscle Memory’ is an intriguing comeback, if only because it isn’t what many would have expected. Instead of carving out a career for himself as a singer-songwriter, Lenman has produced some of his most metallic material to date.
The first disc is packed full of references to the Dillinger Escape Plan and Meshuggah, only occasionally dipping into the more melodic post-hardcore territory occupied by Reuben.
That’s not to say, though, that this isn’t recognisably the work of Lenman. The roar of “I want my 20s back” on the opening track, the Six Fingered Hand, is proof enough of that. The most successful moments of the album’s opening half are those when the brutal riffs on display are merged with Lenman’s idiosyncratic vocals and lyrics. No News Is Good News, One Of My Eyes Is A Clock and All Those Things You Hate About Me, I Hate Them Too, are all good examples.
Unfortunately, not all the tracks come off so well. On the likes of Fizzy Blood and Gary, Indiana, there’s not enough of Lenman’s own personality injected, which means that, even if the songwriting is perfectly respectable, there’s a certain lack of inspiration apparent. There are hundreds of bands ploughing this particular post-mathcore furrow after all, and just occasionally the first half of ‘Muscle Memory’ sees Lenman sounding like he could be any one of them.
The second disc will be where some Reuben fans lose interest. Here Lenman is in singer-songwriter mode...sort of. It’s a varied selection, ranging from gently plucked banjo pieces (Shotgun House) through indie (I Ain’t Your Boy), a capella (A Day in the Life) and even swing (Pretty Please). While Lenman should be applauded for his diverse approach, it’s plain that not all these experiments work, especially the aforementioned Pretty Please, which is annoying rather than enjoyable. It would have perhaps been more prudent for Lenman to hone a sound for himself on disc two, much like on the first.
Furthermore, given that the first disc is perhaps overly consistent in its sound, it’s hard not to think that Lenman may have been better served by combining his two newfound approaches into a single disc release. The material here lacks consistency of quality and allows ‘Muscle Memory’ to feel overlong and messy. The strongest moments of ‘Muscle’ combined with a few select highlights of ‘Memory’ would have made for a brilliant comeback, rather than just a good one.
Wed December 4th 2013 - BRIGHTON Green Door Store
Thu December 5th 2013 - BIRMINGHAM Temple
Fri December 6th 2013 - GLASGOW King Tuts
Sat December 7th 2013 - MANCHESTER Night and Day
Sun December 8th 2013 - BRISTOL Thekla
Mon December 9th 2013 - LONDON Garage
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