This cynicism will indeed be justified on your first listen through the album. In fact, what scrap of hope you had for the album may be truly disintegrated after forcing yourself through the first track. A galloping bass line, soft flourishes of strings, Boyd’s voice clear and articulate; this track actually belongs on one of Elton John’s Disney soundtracks.
What follows is a descent into the band’s focus on the poppier elements of their sound, which was, quite arguably, never their strong suit. This underlying aesthetic peaks painfully and uncomfortably at Defiance, with its paint-by-numbers chord progression and gratuitous falsetto.
That being said, the die-hard fans who clung desperately to their copy of Light Grenades, (who would by now be weeping desperately), will ultimately be redeemed by the second half of the album. Switchblade hails the welcome return of spaced-out guitar riffs, driving bass, pounding drums and Boyd’s signature alternative melodies.
The real highlights of the album are the bonus live recordings of Megalomaniac, Wish You Were Here and Nice To Know You.
