On finding themselves without a label in increasingly difficult times in the music industry, many bands would have simply given up, while others would have likely rush-released whatever material they'd been working on via MySpace in a desperate attempt to maintain their profile and stoke their egos. Not The Cinematics. Instead, they went to ground (quite literally, working in a disused army barracks) and reflected, considering their next move and keeping their new material under wraps.
The turmoil in the music industry was simply a microcosm of the world at large: times and fashions were changing, the world was at war and financial institutions were crumbling. Rather than disappear up their own arses and pretend it wasn't all happening, they crafted an album that drew on all of this as material, while integrating the external social / environmental events with more (inter)personal, introspective elements.
The result is an album that's expansive, dense, taught and in places paranoid, anxious, and with a sound that's considerably more solid, in sonic terms, yet less 'produced' than its predecessor. 'All These Things' gets straight to business, propelled by a beefy bassline and solid rhythm. It's straight in with the vocals, too. There's no build-up or teasing as Scott Rinning takes a nihilistic stance, announcing in the opening line, 'This place is on fire and I set it burning.'
There are some killer tracks, with the title track and 'Wish (When the Banks Collapse)' being obvious standouts both musically and lyrically. If the former has hints of U2, the latter illustrates precisely why The Cinematics are infinitely preferable company to Bono: while tackling social issues, the tone is anything but preachy, Rinning cautioning 'we'd better be careful what we wish for.' We, not you: no-one's exempted here, we're all in the same sinking boat.
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Not all of the tracks have such immediacy, but second single, 'New Mexico' - which I wasn't overly enamoured with at first - works well in context of the album's sequencing, and 'Lips Taste Like Tears' has a wonderful snaking bassline and hints of ABC in the chorus. 80sness is also the vibe that hangs like dry ice over the closer, 'Hard for Young Lovers,' in which Rinning sneers brilliantly and churlishly, 'Did they have to look so bloody happy?'
Disaffection and frustration permeate the fabric of the album, keenly articulated on 'Moving to Berlin' and bolstered by a searing guitar break at the finale. The contrasting combination of poppier tunes with darker, meatier and altogether surlier numbers results in an album that grabs in places on the first listen, then continues to offer up new rewards on repeat plays. It's quite an achievement for any band, regardless of circumstance, and The Cinematics have triumphed in adverse conditions to produce a genuinely rounded and satisfying album. Impressive.
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