The (International) Noise Conspiracy
Armed love
Burning Heart Records
Even though this isn't being released until next February in the U.S. and the rest of the world, the record shop I usually venture for the latest and greatest had it. Was it worth the $20.99 plus 7.75% California sales tax I paid for it?
For starters, Dennis Lyxzén and Co. have returned with another strong effort. With producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin at helm, the (I)NC, coping with the departure of keyboardist/guitarist Sara Almgren, move away from the garage sound they were known for to a more complete rock sound.
The album's ten tracks are all mid-to-uptempo and makes it hard for the listener to sit still through them. On the album's opening track (and next single which was released Nov. 15 by Burning Heart) "A Small Demand," the guitars, bass and drums romp along with the organ in a very catchy tune that sets the mood for the album. Lyxzén sings with desperation and urgency as the song progresses. The saxophone solo by Jonas Kullhammer adds a very interesting mix to the song.
"The Way I Feel About You" continues the trend set by the opening track with Inge Johansson's pulsating bass line bouncing along with the keyboard playing of guests Benmont Tench and Kullhammer. Lars Strömberg's guitar plays along with the keyboard as Ludvig Dahlberg's drum hash out this big '70s rock beat. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album.
The (I)NC manage to keep up the speed on "Let's Make History". It's another one of those tracks that has a great bass line and a rhythm section that just pulsates. It also contains another one of Lyxzén's passionate pleas in trying to move on without a comrade. Guitar and organ solo halfway through the song sounds very clean.
"The Dream Is Over" experiments with a blues sound with its driving guitar and piano leading the assault. Lyxzén's vocals are strong and suit the sound. It has this richness that is a good contrast to the instrumentation but both balance out each other as the song continues.
"All In All" reminds me of a Sade song. Soulful on one hand but yet still uniquely rock on the other. It's also the slowest song on the album. The bongos are a nice change of pace and the introduction of Charlotte Hatherly (of Ash fame) into the background vocal mix are also a nice touch.
"Black Mask" is a noisy reintroduction to the old sound. The song is chaotic yet catchy at the same time, with its sing-along bridge and chorus. The instrumentation is intriguing as the guitar wails towards the end with Lyxzén's vocals as everything struggles to be heard. He manages to do another one of his trademark yells at the end that's good enough to make any skeptical fan happy.
"Communist Moon" shows that they can still make the listener dance. Although the title will guarantee that the song never gets played on the radio, it's another song in which the instruments bounce along with one another. The lyrics are still catchy as Lyxzén and company sing "Let's all share our dreams/ Under a communist moon". This song could be the rallying cry of counterrevolutionaries everywhere. It also displays the keyboarding talent of the legendary Billy Preston. Preston's playing really completes the sound.
Things get jazzy with "This Side of Heaven". It's yet another one of the songs that has a great bassline that just rumbles as the guitar plays a subtle role. It is also very reminiscent of "New Empire Blues" off of their critically-acclaimed "A New Morning, Changing Weather".
"Like A Landslide" is another one of those songs that finds itself driven by Lyxzén's vocals and the driving backbeat.
"Armed Love" is the big closing number with its freaked-out harmonica solo dueling with the organ and the return of the '70s rock sound. Perfect closing number.
Rubin pushes the (I)NC to the limits of their sound while still keeping it unique for them. Although it is not as adventurous sound-wise as "A New Morning, Changing Weather", it still contains a lot of the jazz and blues elements they played around with in their previous release. "Armed Love" at times reminds me of The Jam and The Who (from the "Who's Next" era, which isn't a bad thing.
The songs contain many of the themes that fans and listeners have come to know and love (or hate, in some cases.) Although the political rhetoric is still there, I found it to be more accessible than in previous times. In fact, this album is probably more accessible than "A New Morning..." or "Survival Sickness" but still manages to make the revolution a very romantic idea. It could be hard to swallow for those who have followed the Conspiracy from its inception but give "Armed Love" a try and you won't be disappointed.
- Navy Keophan