Review Summary: Existence, hopes, fears and dreams: an assessment
Live has always been a band that have kept their feet more or less firmly on the ground. The themes of their songs, whilst occasionally fantastical and oftentimes a little fanciful, have always been rooted in a solid reality. This is not through lack of imagination, as their use of complex metaphor and an inventively dream-like sound will attest to, but rather a resolute observance of the beauty of everyday life. With the bombardment of stimuli aimed at humans from all directions- film/ TV, literature, music, advertising, environment etc.- people are learning more and more that living in imagination is preferable to existing in reality. This may be true, but not practical; being blind to the mundanities of everyday life can leave individuals depressed, which is caused by a deep yearning for a life they never had nor can ever attain. Of course, fantasy and fairytales have their place, but it is important to realize the everyday beauty of life. People sleepwalk their lives away, and miss the noisy synchronicity of a busy junction, the curious melody of a bustling high street, the day to day simplicity of an occupation. Live treat this curious beauty as a sort of centrepiece- a maypole around which they can orchestrate their whimsy. On
Throwing Copper, this quaintness is not only fully realized and beautifully heartfelt, but also framed by a sincere clarity that renders it somewhat ethereal, but virtually always relatable. There’s something magical about that.
Throwing Copper regards life at arm’s length through a comically oversized monocle; affecting it with a humorous poise but also a stark realism that can at times be somewhat troubling. Never has the epithet ‘to take the bad with the good’ been more applicable. It is an album of peaks and troughs, unapologetic in the genuine portrait of life it paints with such calm yet urgent verve. Setting the tone is the calm, disturbing ‘The Dam At Otter Creek’, the candid story of the disposal of a body- clearly not anchored in the obvious realism of the rest of the release, but a necessary indictment of the cycle of life through death; in this case, tackling the indignity of the aftermath. Calm, collected, and completely grim, it starts the tale at a dark place, where upwards is the only possible progression. Compositions such as ‘Waitress’ and ‘I Alone’ delve into the pangs and stresses of human relationships, be they fleeting and insignificant, or all-encompassing. ‘I Alone’ especially is a quietly humanistic vision of emotionality and an ensuing passionate cavalcade, emphasized by a cataclysmic chorus in which vocalist Ed Kowalczyk’s searing tone soars over the chorus melody with an undefinable desperation. ‘Lightning Crashes’ is similarly emotive, using the mantra of the title as a sudden flash in which life is given, and life is taken away. The guitar melody is quietly hopeful and bittersweet, Kowalcyk’s delivery high and melodious- flitting between triumphant and sombre as required. This is a level of dark energy Live has increasingly sacrificed as their career has progressed, in favour of mindlessly optimistic or crushingly dour- never again seen is the level of emotional complexity on display here.
‘Top’ and ‘*** Towne’ are possibly the two most enjoyable songs on the album, for their catchy melodies and singalong choruses. Despite this, they are far from mindless throwaways; capturing the human trait of manipulation and the disillusionment of one with their place of residence respectively, they cover some rather intense topics in a clever and entertaining way. ‘Top’ has a level of depth to its metaphor that could relate to a toxic relationship, the treatment of citizens by government, the stranglehold of trends over the mass populace; it is a rich and layered treatment of a deeply common humanistic trait. Concluding the album is ‘White, Discussion’. Dealing with the vision of a post-apocalyptic world and bleak in no uncertain terms, much in the same vein as Smashing Pumpkins ‘Tales Of A Scorched Earth’. Much as the album opens with the notion of death, it closes with the notion of utter destruction on the planet we call home, although this time with a faint glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel. It is speculative, of course, but more relevant in the modern times of political uncertainty and instability than it has ever been before. It poses the question, when the doomsday clock ticks down, how will the future look- and more importantly, will it be a future worth fighting for? The only track that feels a little ill-fitting is 'Stage', which takes on a notably heavier vibe to the rest of the rest of the release. Seemingly out-of-place it may be, it acts as a catharsis of sorts for the album- an aggressive purge of bad feelings and an impressive display of energy for the band, even if lyrically it feels a little one-dimensional compared to the rest of the release.
Post-grunge as a genre allowed for the wallowing, somewhat miserly strains of the early 90s to spread its’ wings a little and start to find a balance closer to the alternative scene. Live are fairly unspectacular in that regard, and painted by numbers insofar as musicality and structure was concerned. Despite this,
Throwing Copper- whilst not a fully realized concept- was an impressively expansive work of modern rock, with a tight production that highlighted the grunge influence admirably whilst marrying it with the rock vibes that undeniably make it a more listenable experience. Lyrically, it’s Live on top form, with a thoughtful depth to meaning and melody. As an overall package, this is the best the band has ever been- it’s supremely emotional, yet never mindlessly positive (unlike
The Distance To Here). It’s relatively simplistic musically, yet never boring (unlike
Songs From Black Mountain). And it has genuine depth to its’ theme, rather than being cliché (unlike
Birds Of Pray and
V.). Truly an experience of dreamlike sincerity, and equal parts a celebration and admonishment of life in the best possible way.
