Meteorites

About

With so many young bands emulating the music of the ‘80s—and the alternative sounds of Echo & The Bunnymen, Joy Division/New Order, and Depeche Mode, most of all—it’s a relief when the key players of the era come back and remind us why they were always the innovators and never the followers. 2014’s <i>Meteorites</i> brings singer Ian McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant together with another key innovator: producer Youth. Having a producer as ambitious as the band turns songs like “Holy Moses,” “Is This a Breakdown,” and “Lovers on the Run” into epic-scale Echo tunes. Guitars work up from atmospherics to concise riffs with ease, while string arrangements and grandiose vocal arrangements create entire new worlds. Even the more modestly paced “Grapes Upon the Vine” features a split-octave vocal and plush velvet beds of sound worthy of the band that cut <i>Ocean Rain</i>. McCulloch’s vocals haven’t aged a day, guaranteeing this album is as essential as any album they’ve made since the earth-shattering <i>Crocodiles</i>.

via Apple Music