Enter Shikari - A Kiss For The Whole World (Album Review)
Thursday, 27 April 2023
Written by Jack Terry
Photo: Jamie Waters
Enter Shikari are a tough band to pin a label on. Their last album, 2020’s 'Nothing Is True And Everything Is Possible', was worlds away from their debut 'Take To The Skies' in sound and yet there's nobody else out there who could have made either album. ’A Kiss For The Whole World’ continues that inimitable run with another head-spinning foray into drum ‘n’ bass-infused post-hardcore.
The jubilant, horn-laden opening of the title track has become a recurring feature on their recent albums and, by this point, they've found the sweet spot of how much to include. Before they overstay their welcome, the horns subside and allow their typical brand of noisy electronicore to take over.
As 'A Kiss For The Whole World' goes on, it becomes clear that this is an amalgam of their past three albums. It Hurts borrows from the poppier singalongs of 'Nothing Is True And Everything Is Possible' and Dead Wood from the sentimentality of 'The Spark', while the harder edge of 'The Mindsweep' comes to the fore on tracks such as Leap Into The Lightning.
'A Kiss For The Whole World' works best when each of these elements are thrust together, as on goldfish ~. Enter Shikari are a band with a phenomenal live reputation, and it's easy to imagine this track in the setlist. Its meshing of chunky instrumentation with Rou Reynolds' ever-improving vocals is sure to make it a firm fan favourite before long.
There's also a great deal of fan service cheekily laced through the album in the form of Easter eggs that will only mean something to the long-standing fans. Mentions of The Dreamer's Hotel and Live Outside add to the story and legacy of Enter Shikari, while the Ariadne's thread of Stand Your Ground This Is Ancient Land will thrill the OGs.
Enter Shikari’s refusal to confine and constrict themselves remains their greatest asset and while the first few listens will keep you on your toes and guessing, the many listens that follow will bed these tracks deep into your heart.
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