The Fierce And The Dead: If It Carries On Like This We Are Moving To Morecambe

The Fierce And The Dead
If It Carries On Like This We Are Moving To Morecambe
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Post-rock is a difficult genre to be in, as most people are unfortunately going to compare you to the giants of the genre; Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky, Tortoise, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, etc. Thus, bands either replicate one of these bands' sounds down to the last molecule, or find some way to put their own individual stamp on the music. Recently, Matt Stevens, of UK post-rock band The Fierce And The Dead, contacted me about reviewing his band's latest CD, If It Carries On Like This We Are Moving To Morecambe. I am initially hesitant to review CDs from submissions from the artists' themselves, mainly because it feels a lot more personal after you have been emailing someone, than just randomly reviewing something from someone I don't have any contact with. I hate giving bad reviews as well, even when it is warranted. So often, in the cases of private submissions where I don't have good things to say, I generally don't review it all. In this case, however, I was pleasantly surprised with the album. The Fierce And The Dead, while acknowledging their post-rock influences, don't mire themselves in them, and put in their own interesting, and sometimes out-of-the-blue touches, that make them stand out from the crowded pack. Of course, my one quibble with the album is that I wanted more of the quirky touches throughout the album rather than just sparsely laid out.

If It Carries On Like This We Are Moving To Morecambe does have its fair share of typical post-rock tracks, going from quiet to loud dynamics. "Part 2" begins with deep, ominous bass, charging into a tight beat and almost bluesy guitar, erupting with keyboard swells and roaring guitars.



"H.R." chugs along with a slacker, Pavement vibe until the very back half explodes with a wall of guitar noise. And I love the ambient keyboard opening to closing track "Andy Scott" which moves into a mid-section with melodic bass and ringing guitars, slowly building into a jazzy, sax jam by songs end.



It was the unexpected saxophone outtro that hooked me, and on several occasions, TFATD caught me off guard with similar quirks. Several ambient interludes were gorgeously scattered amongst the rougher cuts of the album, lending themselves as palate cleansers for the more complex tracks. "The Wait" is a beautiful 2 minutes of interlocking guitars, subtle organ, and hints of almost industrial percussion. "Hotel No. 6" could easily find itself among the ambient works of David Sylvian on Gone To Earth. Which oddly fades right into the blasting, proto-hardcore of "Landcrab" which sounds like the lovechild of Mclusky, Pixies, and Nirvana. And "Daddies Little Helper," the washes of guitar are supplemented with some delicate sax work again.

My favorite song on the record is the driving track "10 X 10" which appears to borrow some from shoegaze textures with its echoey opening, moving into a tight beat before almost getting funky with what sounds like a keyboard or organ but what I am assuming is a frenetically played bass. The track just has so much going on in it, it takes awhile to get the full picture, but once it has its hooks in you, it is difficult to forget.



If It Carries On Like This We Are Moving To Morecambe is a really solid debut for TFATD, and shows promise for even greater things in the future. I enjoyed hearing all the post-rock touchstones, and how the band plays off them, adding their own personality to the mix. With more songs venturing out of the post-rock comfort zone, they are sure to develop their own true distinct sound. I definitely recommend checking this band out. The album is available in physical formats as well as digitally on a pay-what-you-like format on the band's Bandcamp page which you can locate here.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.