The Awful Truth

1979年、UKはバーミンガムで結成。以来解散を挟みながら40年以上ポスト・パンクを求め続けるロバート・ロイド率いるNIGHTINGALES。3年振りの新作『THE AWFUL TRUTH』もフレッシュさとベテラン技が混ざり合う会心の一撃!

2004年の復活以降に顕著なオルタナティヴ・ロック的スタイルを踏襲したポップで程良く荒れ狂う仕上がりに。心地良いリフとロバートの場をコントロールするヴォーカルがどこまでも冴え渡る"The New Emperor's New Clothes"はライブで盛り上がる事確実。段々逸脱していく展開も見事! 逆に最初からハチャメチャなアンサンブルを叩き出す"The Men, Again"の暴発も聴き所です!

English punk band the Nightingales have been on their own path since they formed in the late 70s, eschewing the predictable political stances and anti-society cliches of their punk rock peers for songs that were intellectual, biting, and always laced with dark, sardonic humor. With lyricist/vocalist Robert Lloyd as the bands central figure through multiple lineup changes and a second act that began when the group reactivated in 2004, the Nightingales have created their own brand of smart, smarmy punk thats as absurd as it is righteously raging. The Awful Truth finds the band in full force, with nervy songs built on high-powered riffs and unrelenting attitude, often with vitriol aimed at government institutions and political misdeeds. Straight out of the gate, "The New Emperors New Clothes" is charged, melodic rock & roll. The inclusion of violins atop the blasting three-chord song structure brings the Mekons to mind, and there are also nods to the Stooges, the Velvets, and the Modern Lovers sewn into the songs arrangement, but all buried beneath Lloyds gruff vocal grumble. "Same Old Riff" is similarly pre-punk rock & roll, with the same tone Lou Reed took on New York reformatted in a scathing assessment of remorseless public officials and the harm those in power do to the working class. The band move between burning punk blasts like "Warm Up," Fall-esque repetitive grooving like "The Men, Again," and weirdo sidebars like the not-quite-serious faux-country balladry of "The Princess and the Piss Artist" or the nightmarish lounge act that plays out on "The Gates of Heaven Ajar." The bands primary currency remains energy, and The Awful Truth is never lacking in that department. Nearly a half-century in, and still forging a sound and a vantage point on punk thats outside of the norm, the Nightingales continue their fiery march toward oblivion on The Awful Truth, laughing at themselves and the world around them every step of the way. ~ Fred Thomas