Enter Shikari hit the reset button on their intense, straight-to-the-face seventh offering, A Kiss for the Whole World x. Bringing back the energy of their early days combined with flourishing synth work and catchy songwriting made for live performances, fans from day one may finally find an anchor point that bridges the gap between older and newer material.
As a band that has always treated feeding off live performances as their sole purpose to keep going, the coronavirus pandemic put an abrupt halt to the presentation of Nothing Is True And Everything Is Possible in 2020. Initially coined “the most quintessential Shikari record” by singer Rou Reynolds, the lack of live performances for most of the tracks on the album have dampened the expected impact it would have on their audience. In fact, it felt like many songs on the record were not written with any intention of live performances in mind.
Come 2023, and the tables have turned: After spending several weeks locked away in an Airbnb in Chichester with audio engineer George Perks, the constraints of limited solar power and a pure, thriving passion for music creation have yielded the most complete-sounding Enter Shikari album in years. Similar to the fire lily blossoming on blackened ground on the album cover, the band have emerged from a low point in their career to thrive once again. Every second on the record offers a unique intensity, with short interludes bridging an otherwise completely single-worthy experience.
While the later releases in the band’s discography lean more on the experimental side, this record feels like less of a riddle, but more of a heartfelt smooch on the forehead for everyone diving into these 33 minutes of eclectic grandeur. The opening title track greets the listener with an epic fanfare before blasting into a post-hardcore-laden main riff and repeated blissful references to Beethoven’s symphony number 9 in lyrics and music. Indeed, it could not be more fitting to begin an album with an ode to music and expression after years of being forced to endure a complete lack of live music. It is easy to picture fans going berserk to Rob Rolfe’s pummeling percussive work that forms the record’s energetic core, as heard on the two following singles, (pls) set me on fire and It Hurts. The majority of the songs trim any fat left, swapping bridge sections for repeated choruses that hammer the message home.
Leap Into The Lightning is one of the tracks that would neither have sounded out of place on Common Dreads nor Nothing is True. Jumping back and forth between Reynolds’ rapping over breakbeats and an unforgettable hook, the song tackles uncertainty about the unknown and pushing forward amidst precarious circumstances. The following interlude feed yøur søul further pushes the envelope on electronic experimentation the band is known for since their first record. Dead Wood ramps up feelings of anxiety and self-doubt on an otherwise overwhelmingly positive record, forming a more string-oriented, waltzing counterpart to the other ragers that dominate the LP. Guided by heavily edited vocoder singing, it finally melts into a beautifully composed section that repeats the line “I want to feel the way you feel” until its bittersweet end.
Throughout their discography, Enter Shikari have always had a knack for rave elements in their music, culminating in last year’s single Bull and a performance of Sorry, You’re Not A Winner with Pendulum at Reading Festival. Jailbreak follows this trend, heavily leaning on drum ‘n’ bass and a message of questioning one’s own beliefs of oneself. It is arguably the most accessible song on the album, piecing together Reynolds’ brilliant lyricism with the more uptempo side of the band, which will flourish in live settings.
All in all, the tracklist begs to be performed live completely considering the sheer amount of energy it contains. Bloodshot forms the biggest climax on the record, diving headfirst into bass-heavy dance territory and another strong chorus while goldfish ~ addresses helplessness in an utterly happy chorus before immersing itself in an unexpected breakdown. The closing Giant Pacific Octopus (i don’t know you anymore) picks up the tempo one last time before floating off into a calming outro that rounds off the album rather well.
Enter Shikari have always strayed from the path when it comes to their approach to musicianship, sonic textures and lyrical content. After two decades of being a band, still being able to craft such a layered, honest, yet digestible record is not a quality many bands share. A kiss for the whole world, and a gigantic leap for independent music.
Rating: 5/5 feathers
A Kiss for the Whole World is out April 21st via Ambush Reality / Play It Again Sam.
Comments