Review Summary: Crazy geezers go all out on second album, striking a balance but not completely hitting the mark.
We were always going to find Enter Shikari in a decidedly awkward position when it came time for them to follow up their debut, 2007’s
Take to the Skies. This was a record that made sure that the young quartet stood out like the proverbial dog’s bollocks in the British hardcore scene, equalling their passion for breakdowns and chugging guitar from Rory Clewlow with their passion for raving and synth bleeps. It was a distinctive sound that spawned even more distinctive hits, such as “Sorry, You’re Not a Winner” and “Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour…”.
The difficulty, thus, lies in which direction ES take their sound from where they left off. If they continue in the same vein, they run the risk of being labelled one-trick ponies. Should they stray from their sound, they run the risk of alienating the fanbase that already loves their sound. What’s a band to do? Their answer, it seems, is to not give a sh
it either way and, for want of a better phrase, go absolutely nuts.
Common Dreads is an eccentric, puzzling work that leaves the listener confused as to if what they are listening to is the best thing they’ve heard all year or the worst thing they have ever heard – and yet still demands repeated listens, with something new to pick up along the way.
Whilst a lot has changed in the two-odd years since Skies, the core of Shikari remains quite the same. The band are often found either in a heavy trance of siren-wail synthesizer and chirping 8-bit arpeggios, or slamming down some limb-swinging crunch with packed-in gang vocals, Rob Rolfe’s crashing drums and colossal, distorted riffage – occasionally making this quantum leap within the same song. The band, as a collective, is much tighter and far more focused in regards to what they wish to achieve musically. That’s not to say they’ve perfected their art just yet, though. Whilst they’re certainly onto some interesting ideas, there are times where the electronica/dance elements lack creativity and almost appear gratuitous. When the band get it right in this area (“Solidarity” and “Antwerpen” as two bold examples), it’s exciting and interesting – proof enough of what the quartet are capable of.
Elsewhere on
Common Dreads, ES have spread themselves out even further musically, with mixed results. There’s Mike Skinner-esque cockney beat poetry (possibly the strangest song the band have written to date, “The Jester”), classical acoustic guitar (the bipolar balladry of “Gap in the Fence”), church organ (the fist-raising political yelp, “Fanfare For the Common Man”), machine heads (“Zzonked”) and percussion aplenty – just to give a handful of examples.
At first, it’s startling; and quite frankly, a tad offputting. Over a few listens, however, one comes to appreciate
Common Dreads in all of its bizarre glory.
The hooks still come thick and fast, whether vocalist Rou Reynolds offers them in shouted (the suitably bonkers “Zzzonked”) or sung (the sensational “Wall”) form. Both of Reynolds’ styles of vocals have shown improvement throughout the album. His scream is thicker and more forceful, his singing occasionally flourishes and adds a furthered layer of sentiment to the songs themselves, as he pictures a world where “the idea of community will be something seen at a museum” and “where killing is a part of every day”. Even still, he is still developing his ability to smoothly transition from one to another without musical interlude, as evidenced by songs such as the repetitive “No Sleep Tonight” and the average “Hectic”.
This may seem like petty faulting, but once Enter Shikari tighten up the screws and rework their hybrid formula, there’s even more potential to be fulfilled.
Common Dreads is insane, it’s irrational, it’s all over the shop – and even then, it’s just shy of brilliance.
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