Complex, layered composition defines Come Down
By LIAM FERRELL
Scene Music Critic
Let It Come Down is Spiritualized's follow-up to the critically acclaimed and masterful 1997 album Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space. This past album was a landmark in the career of J. Spaceman (a.k.a. Jason Pierce) and company, with a title track that was one of the most beautiful and haunting songs ever recorded. With string accompaniment, full orchestras, choirs, and electronic effects, Spiritualized created a dense network of sounds that defined them as masters of production.
After several years and complete lineup changes, Let It Come Down is the third studio release from Spiritualized. The lyrics of the songs practically form a concept album, with each track basically building off its predecessor, expanding on themes of love, loss, depression, faith, redemption and the possibilities of healing. Spaceman gives the listener an album full of confessions and prayers.
The album begins with a roaring start, the jazz-infused, rollicking "On Fire." Filled with choral voices, layered tracking and electronics, the music sets the boundaries for the rest of the record. The singer is inspired, enthusiastic and wants to get "into your soul." The mood set here does not falter on the second track, as "Do It All Over Again" remains lighthearted, with an upbeat melody, strings and horns, providing lyrics of comfort for someone downhearted.
Although the musical pace set in the first two songs is carried through on several other tracks on the album, the bright subject matter takes a backseat to some much more melancholy and introspective material. Both "The Twelve Steps" and "The Straight and Narrow" have upbeat tempos and rock guitars, but each deals more with being lost and depraved and not too eager to change.
The darker section of the record begins with the mellow, string laden "Don't Just Do Something," where the sun "burns his wings" amidst several melodic shifts and lyrics of regret. A similar context is followed up in "Out of Sight," an angrier song with distorted guitars, brassy horns and anguished vocals that culminate in a full sonic blast at the song's conclusion.
The mantra-like repetitions in "I Didn't Mean to Hurt You" and the floating, melodic despair of "Anything More," wherein the speaker's main goal is to "just survive," bookend the best track on the album, "Stop Your Crying."A very strong and beautiful melody, with rare hopeful lyrics, this song encapsulates the best of Spiritualized's talents in songwriting.
The final two songs are thematically related and reach into very religious territory. "Won't Get to Heaven (The State I'm In)" is basically a prayer to God for deliverance, with a small belief that redemption is coming. The final track, "Lord Can You Hear Me," could be a continuation of the same prayer, but the speaker has lost complete interest in life, and is on the brink of suicide. A church hymn with darker lyrics, the song proclaims that the speaker would take his life if he were not in so much doubt. Extremely chaotic and layered, the song ends abruptly.
Overall, Let It Come Down does not have the same level of harsh beauty developed in Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space. The subject matter and concepts reach better levels but the production occasionally obscures the vocals and little new ground is broken by the musical composition. At some points, the attention of the listener will lag. Let It Come Down is not a breakthrough album, but it is good; hopefully Spiritualized will dig deeper into the potential they showed and break more rules the next time around.
All Scene Stories for Tuesday, February 12, 2002
