Maxïmo Park have certainly done their share of experimenting since releasing their debut, ‘A Certain Trigger’, almost a decade ago.
From that album’s tightly-wound, melodic alternative rock to the pop tones of 'Our Earthly Pleasures', the quintet appeared to have honed their sound early on only for 2009’s ‘Quicken The Heart’ to lower the tone with its erratic nature.
On ‘The National Health’, though, we were given a perfectly crafted album full of riffs, hooks and ingenuity – perhaps Maxïmo Park’s best effort yet. With the band still on a high following that release, their latest effort, ‘Too Much Information’, arrives with plenty of expectation.
Unfortunately, opener Give, Get, Take is a lukewarm intro, with a melody that isn’t strong enough to make a real impact. But, the wonderful weirdness of Brain Cells, although unlikely to be an instant hit for everyone, provides an immediate riposte. With its electrobassline and Paul Smith’s soft, yet rich vocal, it’s a naggingly brilliant song.
What’s immediately clear about ‘Too Much Information’ is that the band are taking a more low-key approach. Rather than in-your-face hooks and brash instrumentation, we are treated to brooding electro with subtle choruses, which, unsurprisingly, work just as well.
While the lack of obvious melodies can be frustrating, tracks like Leave This Island and Lydia, The Ink Will Never Dry have incredible single potential. The latter uses Maxïmo Park’s signature, sparkling guitar lines to entice and evokes a sense of familiarity, while still providing a new twist.
There are a lot of styles being played with here, including fast-paced punk touches on Her Name Was Audre and the acoustic trappings of Where We’re Going, and broadly, Maxïmo Park can pull them off. Not an album to pass off upon first listen, ‘Too Much Information’ reveals its beauty slowly.
Mon February 03 2014 - LONDON Sebright Arms
Sat February 08 2014 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Bridge Hotel
Sat March 01 2014 - BELFAST The Limelight 2
Thu March 06 2014 - PORTSMOUTH Portsmouth Pyramids
Fri March 07 2014 - BRISTOL O2 Academy Bristol
Sat March 08 2014 - GLASGOW O2 Academy Glasgow
Mon March 10 2014 - LIVERPOOL O2 Academy Liverpool
Tue March 11 2014 - NOTTINGHAM Rock City
Thu March 13 2014 - LEEDS O2 Academy Leeds
Fri March 14 2014 - BIRMINGHAM Institute
Sat March 15 2014 - MANCHESTER Academy
Mon March 17 2014 - NORWICH UEA
Tue March 18 2014 - OXFORD O2 Academy Oxford
Thu March 20 2014 - LONDON Forum
Fri March 21 2014 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE O2 Academy Newcastle
Sat March 22 2014 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE O2 Academy Newcastle
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