Oil And Gold (studio album) by Shriekback

From Secondsoul 12/17/2013 19:23

Such an under rated album. Definitely worth a listen. Tracks like Nemesis are so catchy. Great review of it below as well!

When your band is the offspring of Gang of Four and XTC people are going to expect that artistically you can bring the pain so to speak. Without a doubt, Shriekback could bring it. One could argue that Shriekback didn't have the consistency over its lifespan of its parent bands, but for at least 2 moments (this album and 'Big Night Music') it clearly outshined them both. Folks may wonder who Shriekback really was: the sweaty funk of "My Spine (Is the Bassline)", the disposable party-pop of 'Go Bang!' or the lurid alien soundscapes traversed in their more introspective moments? Perhaps I can't answer that question, but I think they will be best remembered for the latter. 'Oil and Gold' contains flashes of the funk but is full of the dark introspection. It stands as their crowning achievement.

The disc kicks off with the fat bass and beats kicking in "Malaria" and "Everything That Rises Must Converge". "Fish Below the Ice" then segues into a slower, moodier section highlighted by "This Big Hush" and the poignant, sensual & brilliantly minimalist "Faded Flowers". The entire section of the album bristles with a quiet, smoldering intensity that the listener senses just has to be released otherwise self-destruction is imminent. Luckily the pressure is all released on the potent dance masterpiece "Nemesis"... a.k.a. the song that you know even if you've never heard of Shriekback. This is as ominous as a dance song can get outside of eletronic industrial. The shrieking chorus of high-pitched female vocals coming over the top of Barry Andrews' baritone makes the vibe almost an orgy of sound and fury. The underrated song here, even by fans, is the Middle Eastern tinged "Hammerheads". The melody is ensnaring to the ear and slithers to and fro like a snake charmer's tune. The album exits with the ambient, chill-out wonder of "Coelocanth", a mysterious slab of subtle shifting tones that make you feel as though you are watching this ancient rare creature navigate the currents in the ocean's deepest, darkest recesses.