Review Summary: Troublegum's schizophrenic cousin bears fruit
Therapy? are in their 25th year of what can only be described as a remarkable career. They have now released 14 studio albums since their inception back in 1990 and although they are not scaling the chart bothering heights of their mid nineties golden era, the mere fact that they have a rabid core fanbase and relentlessly tour and release albums is a testament to how dedicated they are. Many lesser bands from the 90's britrock age have departed and imploded but Therapy? have gallantly marched forward experimenting with different sounds and subjects to keep not only their fans interested but themselves as well.
Back in 1994 the group released their million selling call to arms album
Troublegum which saw the band explode with angst over catchy riffs and melodic choruses, the timing was impeccable and the masses lapped up the songs propelling the band into the mainstream and worldwide fame. Therapy? maintained their popularity with the follow up
Infernal Love, although alienated a few fans with the more new romantic sound of the album. Since then Therapy? have steadily released albums with varying sounds, success and critical applause. 1999's
Suicide Pact, You First saw the band harness a wall of noise to express their anger, where as 2001's
Shameless saw the band delve into a more rock and roll punk direction, the 2 recent studio albums, 2009's
Crooked Timber and 2012's
A Brief Crack of Light saw the band turning to a more experimental rock approach with a sprawling dark ambient sound on some songs, seemingly a million miles away from the
Troublegum songs like
Nowhere. But throughout it all Therapy? have maintained that snarling brute of a riff and hook that permeates all their work, they are always unmistakably Therapy?
So this brings us on to 2015's
Disquiet, an album which prior to its release was tagged with the "return to Troublegum" sound even before a note was heard. Frontman and principal writer Andy Cairns spoke in the build up to it's release that Therapy? were returning to writing songs with rock melodies and big choruses and saw this album as a sort of
Troublegum follow up 20 years down the line. Opener
Still Hurts certainly sets the benchmark for the album, its a snarling beast of a song with a huge meaty riff and Cairn's growling vocals punctuated with a melodic bridge and pounding drums, it's easy to see the comparison between this and
Troublegum opener
Knives, the lyrics themselves openly reflecting on how Cairns feels 20 years down the road from writing the lyrics for
Troublegum. The next 2 songs
Tides and
Good News is No News could both easily sit on one of Therapy's earlier albums, both have huge catchy riffs and singalong choruses,
Tides seeing Therapy? on their more melodic and softer side is definitely one of the standout tracks on the album. It's easy to see from the opening 3 songs that Therapy? have recalled their 3 minute rock anthem approach to songs but there is more sustenance on show here than just that.
Idiot Cousin is a wonderful self deprecating piece of work with a relentless driving riff and an almost hypnotic chorus which hears Cairns recall the start of the band "You don't look like a boy that sings" and I'm guessing having a pop at themselves with the line "Trust us to *** it all up when we get near the top", the song is a throwback itself to the sound of the early Therapy? days heard on albums such as
Nurse. Cairns lyrics have always been fantastically open and self loathing, tinged with a vibrant wit and this album sees him lay himself bare as always, none more so than on the brilliant
Insecurity which sees Cairns battle with his own demons openly, the song is very reminiscent of the cover of
Isolation from
Troublegum, complete with near identical bass lines. The brilliantly titled
Vulgar display of Powder is an ode to cocaine use and contains the fantastic lyrics "Bombastic and Pompous, Coked up to the eyes, This isn't how you cope, You coward". The promise of rock songs is definitely delivered on here, gone are the experimenting and instrumentals that featured on recent albums and in place is the Therapy? of old with chugging driving rhythms and soaring choruses, that is until we get to album closer
Deathstimate. This is a 7 minute dark monster of a song, which sits closer to Therapy's? more recent sound than anything else on here. Its a darkly sombre beautiful song which sees Cairns musing about the finality of existence, its an epic number and could be the best song on here, it could easily feel out of place after the more pop/rock approach of the previous songs but instead stands out and bookends the album brilliantly.
It's always a gamble when bands decide to revisit the glory days and it happens more often now than ever, bands are forever pulling at the nostalgia strings and playing their most popular album live in concert from start to finish, something that Therapy? have done very successfully. But I'm sure that here Therapy? have not purposely tried to recreate the
Troublegum sound, that was of a time and place and it can never be repeated. Instead I think that the band have done what they have always done and made an album they wanted to make for this era of the band. Like most Therapy? releases the drums are a high point and although maybe not as obvious as previous albums, Neil Cooper shines from behind the drum kit and provides the band with that Therapy? sound that has been there since day 1. As always Michael McKeegans bass lines are buzzing and rumbling under the riffs but this album really seems to focus on the guitar riffs and vocals more than anything else. Although this isn't necessarily a bad thing and it certainly enhances the pop/rock catchy feel of the songs, fans of the more experimental side of Therapy? may be a little disappointed.
Apart from a couple of throwaway songs on here this is an incredibly solid body of work that represents the band very well. It's certainly the most accessible and radio friendly album for a while that the band have turned out, whether this will open the band up to a wider audience is debatable, unfortunately those days are probably gone. But for the ardent Therapy? fan this will be an immensely pleasing album full of cracking rock anthems.
