Death From Above 1979 have released their second album – The Physical World – nine years, 10 months and 17 days after their debut album, You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine. During that period Death From Above 1979 has become arguably the world’s most credible rock act. I mean, have you ever heard anyone rag on them? Everybody loves them and that’s off one release.
Due to the importance of DFA1979 to rock music fans out there I thought it only suitable to go through each song from The Physical World in order:
1. Cheap Talk – Quite modern and emotional for DFA1979 but a shot in the arm all the same. A solid opener that won’t win you over but will not leave you disappointed either.
2. Right On, Frankenstein! – This is classic 1979. It’s like a song recorded in the same sessions as You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine. The major difference between this song and say Romantic Rights is the stylistically accented progressive rock outro.
3. Virgins – Speaking of prog rock, this song slays along with the inexorable grit and sexuality Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. In line with macho sexuality of that era Virgins opens with the line: “Where have all the virgins gone?” Potentially the plea of two aging rock stars whose groupies that were 17 when their first album came out in 2004 have now, for the most part, had their first kid and boob jobs? Critically, this track highlights the over-production of The Physical World, or maybe it’s the polish that comes with vocalist Sebastian Grainger being a recording artist for 15 years, that makes the song sound a bit emo.
4. Always On – More classic DFA1979, imagine Black History Month meets Turn It Out from the debut.
5. Crystal Ball – As much as it pains me to say it, this song is clichéd filler.
6. White Is Red – Icy guitar and emotional vocals. Ostensibly this song would be more at home on Radiohead’s The Bends than a DFA1979 album, but you know what? It works.
7. Trainwreck 1979 – The single that everyone has heard or seen from a fan posting it on Facebook. This song embodies the dance/punk aesthetic that made the band an instant classic 10 years ago but via production and a couple of stylistic tweaks the song’s vibe even more vibey – the bridge at two-minutes-in is amazing.
8. Nothin’ Left – As driving as a truckie 36 hours and a gram of meth down into a 48 hours route; this song will become a fan fave.
9. Government Trash – Cut from the same cloth as Nothin’ Left, this song is owned by Jesse F. Keeler’s bass playing.
10. Gemini – It’s suitable that the song featuring a jarring ‘space’ guitar sound should be named after a constellation. This song partner’s up nicely with Go Home, Get Down from their debut album.
11. The Physical World – A spacey synth effect opens this song (the only reference point to Keeler’s beloved MSTRKFT) then Grainger cries, “I can’t have you because you don’t try / staring at nothing / nothing is right” and then drops a riff as good as the stellar bass line from the debut’s Little Girl.
BY DENVER MAXX
Best Track: Right On, Frankenstein
If You Like This You Will Like: You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine Death From Above 1979, Kick Out The Jams MC5, Silence Yourself Savages, I Want It All Trans Am.
In A Word: Stoner-boner
