As I Try Not To Fall Apart

Britains White Lies make the kind of fluorescent-lit post-punk that you might expect to be pumping out of storefront speakers in a futuristic Blade Runner-esque city. Its an evocative sound they further embrace on their sleek sixth effort, 2022s As I Try Not to Fall Apart. The album, which again finds them working with longtime producer Ed Buller and Claudias Mittendorfer, who handle several of the tracks, is just as artfully monochromatic as their early work but with a nuanced sophistication theyve been building upon since at least 2016s Friends. While there are certainly 80s-style new wave hooks here, cuts like "Breathe," "I Dont Want to Go to Mars," and the title track are less predictable than some of their past works, balancing intriguing song construction with laser-beam synths, broken-glass guitar accents, and a sparkling blend of analog and electronic beats. Its a vibrant combination that brings to mind bands like New Order and the Fixx much more than Joy Division. Later album cuts like "Roll December" and "The End," however, have a Teutonic, widescreen vibe with heavy bass offset by shiny teardrop keyboard and guitar riffs nicely conjuring Disintegration-era the Cure. At the core of all this shadowy romanticism is guitarist and lead singer Harry McVeigh, whose dark-chocolate baritone croon is still pure Goth Sinatra. As I Try Not to Fall Apart has a sultry, back-of-the-club intensity that speaks to White Lies ever-deepening artistry. ~ Matt Collar

ロンドンの人気3人組による6作目の新作は、ウィーザーやパニック・アット・ザ・ディスコで知られるクラウディウス・ミッテンドーファーがプロデュースにあたり、彼らの過去作を手掛けたエド・ブラーも数曲を担当。持ち味のプログレッシヴなポスト・パンク・サウンドを発揮しつつ、メロディアスな楽曲と輪郭のはっきりした音像が印象的。これまででもっともポップでブライトな内容と言って良い作品だ。
bounce (C)赤瀧洋二